Abstract

This policy brief examines child-centred investments in Telangana by the Department of Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) in alignment with Vision 2024 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Telangana, as one of India’s youngest states, has prioritized initiatives to improve child nutrition and protection outcomes. The analysis focuses on expenditure trends from 2014–2020 and projects investment requirements for achieving targets by 2024. Key child development indicators such as stunting, wasting, and maternal care are analysed across districts, with Hyderabad performing best on nutrition indices and Adilabad lagging significantly. Programs like the Arogya Laxmi Scheme and KCR Kit are highlighted for their effectiveness in improving nutritional intake and maternal health. Despite commendable progress in breastfeeding rates and birth registration, challenges remain in reducing child stunting, underweight prevalence, and adolescent malnutrition. The brief emphasises the need for sustained investments, improved infrastructure, and effective nutritional counselling to address intergenerational malnutrition. It concludes that Telangana’s child-centred investments are on track but require scaling up to meet the SDG targets by 2030, particularly focusing on adolescent nutrition and comprehensive child protection systems.

Public Expenditure Series 8 of 8

Rao, M. B. V. (2020). Child-centred investments to achieve targets of Vision 2024 by Department of WD and CW, Government of Telangana [Policy Brief]