Social Exclusion and Child Nutritional Status among the Scheduled Population in India

Abstract

The concept of social exclusion covers a wide range of economic and social problems commonly related poverty, inequality, deprivation and discrimination. The child nutritional status is one of the important areas where the concept has serious applicability. The proportions of undernourished children in India is significantly higher along with wide spread socio-economic inequalities. The disadvantaged scheduled population (i.e. SC’s & ST’s) in the country are tremendously affected by multidimensional poverty and thus bearing the immense burden of undernourishment especially among the young children. Using the 3^rd round of National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-3; 2005-06) dataset the study broadly suggests that the problem is deeply rooted in larger form social exclusion and deprivation among the lower most segments of the population. It explores the different contours exclusion related to the lesser access of the basic health care facilities, one of the leading causes for the very high rate of child undernourishment among the children.

Keywords: Social Exclusion, Poverty, Inequality, Deprivation, Discrimination, Scheduled Children, Nutritional Status.