The “Economic Case for Investment in the Well-being of Adolescents in India,” is a report by the Partnership for Newborn, Maternal and Child health (hosted by the World Health Organisation) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released recently. It highlights the strides made by government policies and programmes in addressing adolescent well-being in India. The report builds on global findings derived from the report on “Adolescents in a Changing World—The Case for Urgent Investment, released by WHO.”
The findings reveal that investments in areas such as adolescent health, education, child marriage prevention, and road safety have the potential to yield return on investments, ranging from US $ 4.6 to US $ 71.4 for every dollar invested. Further investments in adolescent well-being can boost the Indian economy by an average of approximately 10.1% of annual GDP. Investments in the “adolescent health services” programme, which includes interventions targeting child health, newborn and maternal health, malaria, HIV, nutrition, non-communicable disease, substance use and mental health, can provide a return of US $5.9 for every dollar invested.
Timely interventions in adolescent well-being have proven to be beneficial. The adolescent mortality rate has fallen by nearly 60% and the adolescent fertility rate declined by 83% during 2000—21. Moreover, as enrolments in education have gone up in the same period, there has been a steep decline in prevalence of child marriages.
The changing nature of the world now requires scaling up intervention in other aspects, which include preparing adolescents to improve learning outcomes in school and, in turn, preparing them for better employment opportunities. Education can no longer be about enrollment only; it must also look at aspects of quality and the reduction of dropouts, especially in higher education. The International Labour Organization reported that in 2024, 83% of the unemployed in India are the youth. Hence, it becomes particularly important to ensure better employability of adolescents by equipping them with the right skills and education.
Mental health
Another area of adolescent health that needs to be invested in is mental health. About 7.3% of Indians between the ages of 13 to 17 years reported severe mental illness as of 2015–16. Mental health woes particularly worsened during the pandemic years. Furthermore, India reports the highest number of suicides in the world; unfortunately, one-third of these suicides are recorded to be adolescent suicides. The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram is a scheme that targets adolescent health. However, the mental health component is neglected and is often treated as a secondary concern.
Nutrition is, again, very crucial to adolescents achieving their full growth potential. The government provides adolescents with health check-ups twice a year, deworming and iron folic acid support, and counselling for reproductive health and sexual wellness. Despite these measures, malnutrition affects adolescents in India. Nearly 40% of girls suffer from anaemia and at least 1 in 2 adolescents is affected by the risk of non-communicable diseases. Moreover, additional challenges in the form of multiple micronutrient deficiencies have also emerged. Clearly, more needs to be done with existing policies and programmes to enhance coverage.
Sexual violence
Another area that requires redressal is the growing number of cases of violence among adolescent groups. For instance, the Child Line received 50% higher distress calls for protection against violence and sexual abuse in the first eleven days of lockdown in India. Moreover, as per the National Survey on Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence, 8% of youth reported experiencing physical abuse, 60% reported experiencing psychological violence, and 18% reported experiencing sexual assault in a year after being in a relationship. The World Health Organisation reports that almost 24% of the young girls who have been in a relationship report intimate partner violence.
Growing internet penetration and easier access to digital devices translates to more and more adolescents getting online, using social media and engaging with digital communication. McAfee published a report in 2024 on “Cyberbullying in Plain Sight” highlighting that nearly 85% of surveyed children in India have been victims of cyberbullying, the highest in the world. The survey also reported that three out of four children in India have engaged in cyberbullying. A similar report by McAfee released in 2022 revealed that the use of smartphones by children between the ages of 10 and 14 is at 83% in India, about 7% higher than the global average. Both parents as well as children are largely unaware of the safety measures available to them to redress any sort of exploitation they face online.
Cyber bullying
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal was launched by the Government in 2019 to help citizens report cyber crimes. Moreover, the Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children initiative provides a helpline and a portal allowing children to anonymously report cyber bullying. However, concerted action needs to be taken to educate young digital users and equip them with the right tools to ward off any potential online predators. Also, parents need to be informed about the legal remedies available to victims of cyberbullying.
Adolescents are a crucial resource in the country. Health, education and socio-economic support must be tailored to the holistic growth of adolescents. Investing in their overall well-being is a prerequisite to achieving Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring a healthy, productive workforce for the future.
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