Tamil Nadu has improved in child protection

According to the latest report, infant mortality rate in the state has come down from 57 deaths per 1,000 births in 1991 to 21 in 2014. Governor K. Rosaiah released the report during the 25th anniversary of the convention of the rights of the child at the Raj Bhavan.

Extracting a few points from the report, Andal Damodaran, chairperson, ICCW, said that an estimated 52,876 children are out of school in the state. “This 0.6 per cent of the population is very low compared to the national average,” she said.

“The state occupies the 7th position for the upper primary level based on a composite educational index and stands in the 3rd position for composite primary and upper primary levels for the educational development index in India,” Damodaran added. According to the report, the drop out rate of children in 2011 has come down to 1.74 from 13 2002. The gender gap in literacy is also 13 when compared to the nation’s rate of 16.7.

P.M. Basheer Ahmed, secretary, social welfare and nutritious noon meal programme department, said that significant results have been shown in curbing child marriage in the state.

“Child marriage in the state has been brought down to 5. 3 per cent in rural areas and 3.9 per cent in urban areas, comparatively lesser than before,” said Ahmed. In Tamil Nadu, the number of child labourers identified were 14,227 in 2011-12. The report says that the number was 30,749 in 2005-06.

Governor K. Rosaiah said, “It is imperative that we broaden our development perspective. Reaching unreached children is the need of the hour.” Social welfare minister B. Valarmathi was also present on the occasion.