Mahana calls for deeper legislative focus on SDGs and child-related gaps

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, on Wednesday, batted for active engagement with legislators to deepen their understanding of child-related indicators, the state’s progress on sustainable development goals, good practices from different states and countries, and the gaps and challenges in improving outcomes for children in health, nutrition, sanitation, quality education, protection and safety.

Mahana made the remarks during a meeting with UNICEF Uttar Pradesh chief Dr Zakari Adam. Principal secretary, Vidhan Sabha, P K Dubey, said that strengthening coordination between policymakers and legislators remains important to ensure welfare schemes and social sector spending translate into measurable outcomes on the ground, particularly for vulnerable communities.

Dr Adam highlighted the scale of Uttar Pradesh’s child population, noting that the state is home to nearly 8.5 crore children — around 43% of its total population. He underlined the role of state legislatures and legislative committees in advancing child rights and ensuring better access to health care, nutrition and education.

The deliberations focused on Uttar Pradesh’s child budget statement and ways to ensure allocations meant for children, youth and women reach intended beneficiaries, especially at the last mile. Child and maternal mortality, nutrition indicators, and the state’s efforts towards achieving sustainable development targets also figured prominently in the meeting.

Dr Adam was accompanied by UNICEF social policy specialist Piush Antony and communication specialist Nipurnh Gupta.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Bakrid wishes, messages and eid 2026