SHRIYA MOHAN uncovers shocking tales of tribals battling hunger and starvation in the heartlands of Madhya Pradesh

There has been a 6.3 pc rise in malnourished children in the state. The deduction has been arrived from a report of the National Family Health Survey. In comparison to other states, the state of children is MP is a cause for concern. Percentage wise malnutrition has gone up from 54 to 68.3 in three years. Meanwhile the state government has been claiming it to be at 49 pc.

New Delhi: Demanding that children below two years be recognised as a special vulnerable group in the Food Security Act, activists have underlined the urgency of tackling child malnutrition at a war footing.

Ujjain: More than 8,000 malnourished children have been identified in this district. ''Special monitoring of such children is underway through training conventions for ward-level field officials via anganwadis.

Five nutrition rehabilitation centres are being run,'' Women and Child Development Officer Sanjay Sisodia said today.

The government has chosen to look at the problem from the wrong end of the looking glass, the survival end.

The ICDS scheme is weighed down by several flaws, the worst of them being the attempt to target it for children of the poorest among the poor.

At an anganwadi centre at Samar Gopalpur Kalan village in Haryana

Even States that claim to have impressive economic growth report severe under-nutrition and high infant mortality, particularly among their tribal populations.

At an anganwadi centre in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh.

STATE OF DENIAL

Interview with Jean Dreze, development economist.

Under-nutrition, as a