Children’s Day Must Awaken India’s Conscience: Alumni Call for Action on Hunger, Inequality and Child Development

Ludhiana, November 14, 2026: Moving beyond customary Children's Day celebrations, members of the SCD Government College Alumni Association, during a virtual meeting held to mark the occasion, called for a renewed national commitment to securing every child's right to nutrition, healthcare, quality education, equality and dignity. They maintained that the real measure of a nation's progress lies not in its achievements alone but in the opportunities and quality of life it provides to its youngest citizens.
Expressing deep concern over India's position in the Global Hunger Index 2026, which places the country 100th among 122 nations in the 'serious' hunger category, the alumni said the findings demand more than statistical explanations; they call for introspection and corrective public policy. The reported prevalence of stunting among 29.3 per cent of children below five years and wasting among 19 per cent points to a continuing crisis of childhood nutrition and development. Behind these numbers are children whose physical growth, cognitive development and future potential may be compromised even before they enter school.
Brij Bhushan Goyal, Org secretary of the alumni association observed that Jawaharlal Nehru's affection for children and his vision of nurturing them as the foundation of a progressive India remain deeply relevant. "Nehru's rosebud, worn in his jacket, symbolised the tenderness and promise of childhood. Yet, after 79 years of Independence, one wonders whether that rosebud has truly blossomed for every Indian child. What is the meaning of celebrating childhood when nutritional deprivation, unequal opportunities and inadequate access to essential services continue to deny so many children a fair beginning in life?" he remarked. He stressed that national development must be judged by the condition of the most vulnerable child, rather than by aggregate achievements alone.
Padma Shri, Kirti Chakra awardee alumnus S. S. Boparai, IAS Retd., former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University drew attention to the extraordinary sacrifice of Guru Gobind Singh Ji's four Sahibzaade—Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. Their unparalleled courage, conviction and sacrifice for righteousness and humanity, he observed, offer an enduring message to generations. He called upon the nation to pay homage to the Chaar Sahibzaade on Children's Day and said that remembering their martyrdom must also awaken our responsibility towards children living among us today. Improving their conditions, protecting their dignity and enabling them to grow with courage, knowledge and purpose would be a meaningful expression of this remembrance.
Advocate Hari Om Jindal who works to educate slum dwellers children emphasised that equality must move beyond constitutional assurances to become an everyday experience in the lives of children. Education should not be confined to literacy and examinations; it must nurture an understanding of democracy, constitutional values, equal citizenship and mutual respect. Children from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds must have equal access to educational, cultural and national celebrations, without discrimination. Participation and inclusion, he maintained, are as important as access. Prof. P. K. Sharma stressed that the challenge requires sustained policy intervention rather than isolated welfare announcements. He called for effective implementation of child nutrition programmes, stronger Anganwadi services, accessible maternal and child healthcare, quality government schooling and safe environments for physical and intellectual development. Greater attention must be paid to early childhood nutrition, regular health monitoring, learning outcomes and accountability in the delivery of public services.Government programmes, he said, should be evaluated by measurable improvements in children's lives, not merely by expenditure incurred or beneficiaries enrolled. The alumni collectively observed that Children's Day must become an annual occasion for national introspection and accountability. The challenge is not simply to bring more children into schools, but to ensure that they arrive healthy, remain nourished, learn meaningfully and grow up with equal opportunities and self-respect.
Alumni  concluded that the true tribute to Nehru's vision, the supreme sacrifice of the Sahibzaade and the constitutional promise of equality will be fulfilled only when no child is deprived of adequate nutrition, essential healthcare, quality education or the opportunity to realise his or her full potential. A nation cannot claim to have secured its future while leaving its children behind.