Ganta launches Young Lives India report

Visakhapatnam: Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao launched Young Lives India country report at Andhra University here on Sunday. The minister lauded the work done by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS).

The country report highlighted the insights of a life course perspective and covering various stages of development infancy, adolescence and transition into adulthood among the two states youth. 

Two cohorts, who were one year and eight-year-old in 2002, turned 15 and 22 in the fifth round of the survey i.e; 2016-17 and some of the older cohorts have become parents themselves. The longitudinal study allows us to examine how the lives of children, living in different circumstances and in diverse contexts, change over time.

S Galab, Director, CESS and Principal Investigator of Young Lives India, presented overview of the results dealt in the country report. He disclosed that the wealth status measured through the wealth index of basic services and housing of the marginalised sections of society has increased for both older and younger cohort households, but the gap between other castes and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes households remains, highlighting the persisting inequalities.

Regarding the physical growth is central to healthy child development has also been found to support good cognitive development. Access to clean water and electricity is almost universal but half of the households do not have toilet facilities.

Renu Singh, Country Director, Young Lives India, presented an international study paper which was completed in 15 years on the lives of 12,000 children in four countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam).

Chairman of CESS R Radhakrishna, G Nageswara Rao, Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, R Sudarshana Rao, Vice-Chancellor of Vikrama Simhapuri University, Nellore, were present.