The government should provide for greater funding of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in the budget for 2016-17, a child rights organisation said on Friday.
CRY, an NGO, also demanded new initiatives to fight hunger and malnutrition and increase immunisation coverage.
"With over 40 percent of child population below age five being stunted, focused investment needs to be carried out for altering the status of under nutrition," CRY said in a statement.
The total child budget had decreased from Rs.81,075.26 crore in 2014-15 to Rs.57,918.51 crore in 2015-16, said CRY.
The organisation also demanded improvement in the Mid-Day Meal scheme, investment of more resources in prevention of crime against children, and initiatives against child labour.
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