The data on malnutrition, stunting, and wasting in children across states in India emerging from the first phase of the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-2020) is Dickensian in scope and sentiment. The spectre of hunger and starvation, worsened by the ongoing pandemic and the subsequent loss of livelihoods, is spawning Oliver Twists, who subsist on thin gruels, with little nutrition thrown in.

In India, the implementation of a large number of developmental and infrastructure programmes have often led to environmental degradation. Very often, environmental damage is recognised post-implementation of a programme or a project.

The Government of India has Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and clearance requirements for large projects. Even this is a flawed process since most of the projects are cleared anyway. Of late, there have been efforts to further dilute the EIA.