Odisha's Child Protection Initiatives
Odisha is pioneering a preventive, adolescent-centered governance model in child protection, focusing on hyper-local vigilance and real-time data to prevent harm. This approach is part of the State Strategy and Action Plan to End Child Marriage (SSAP 2024) and initiatives like ADVIKA, Jashoda, and SUBHADRA.
Demographic Context and Challenges
- Fertility Rate: The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 indicates a drop in Odisha’s total fertility rate to 1.8 from 2.1 in 2015-16, below replacement level.
- Population Projections: The population is projected to increase from 4.1 crore (2011 Census) to 4.9 crore by 2036, with a 25% reduction in births equating to 70 lakh fewer children.
- Gender and Community Statistics:
- Women make up 49.46% of the population.
- 83% of citizens live in rural areas, with 83.6% of women residing there.
- About 40% of the population belongs to the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste communities.
Policy Shifts and Outcomes
- Child Marriage Prevention: Between 2019 and 2024, over 14,000 child marriages were prevented, with 13,536 villages and 954 Gram Panchayats declaring themselves child-marriage-free.
- Enforcement and Vigilance: Over 10,000 child marriage prohibition officers and more than 63,000 child marriage information officers were appointed, creating a decentralized vigilance system.
Empowerment and Support Programs
- ADVIKA: Reaches 23.14 lakh adolescents and has created 90,000 peer educators and first responders.
- Helplines and Child Help Desks: Integration of helplines has reduced response times; help desks at railway stations combat trafficking and unsafe migration.
- Ashirbad Scheme: Supported over 51,000 COVID-orphaned children, preventing early marriage or labor.
- Family-Based Care: Increased adoptions (278 in 2024-25), reducing reliance on institutional care.
- Economic Empowerment: Subhadra has enabled over 1.1 crore women to open digital bank accounts, promoting financial independence.
Conclusion
Odisha's comprehensive approach to child protection illustrates the potential of treating it as a governance priority rather than a welfare obligation. The focus on prevention, empowerment, and economic agency is transforming the state's socio-economic fabric.
