National Plan of Action on Children

The National Plan of Action represents India's response to the unprecedented opportunities which the present decade has ushered in, both through technological developments as well as a global ambience for redeeming India's age-old pledges. This Plan of Action identifies quantifiable targets in terms of major as well as supporting sectoral goals representing the needs and aspirations of 300 million children of India in the spheres of health, nutrition, education and related aspects of social support.

The goals of the National Plan of Action on Children include bringing about improvements in child health, in the health of expectant mothers, reduction in malnutrition, provision of and access to safe drinking water, universal enrolment of children in schools, ensuring a minimum level of learning, reduction of disparities and universalisation of effective access to schooling, conservation and protection of the environment so that it is conducive to the health and well-being of children.

Activities under the Plan include strengthening of the existing primary health care infrastructure, consolidation and maintenance of levels of immunization coverage, stepping up immunization where coverage is low, polio eradication through immunization, ensuring essential supplies and drugs, training of doctors and para-medical health workers, educating women and girls on safe motherhood, providing primary education facilities in unserved areas, providing child care services, and community mobilisation and involvement.