Nagaland sixth best state for teenage girls in India

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Dec. 18: Nagaland is the sixth best state in India for teenage girls to live, according to the Teen Age Girls (TAG) Report 2018 released on Tuesday. Kerala was listed first with an index value of 703.1; Nagaland’s index value was 625.

Between Kerala and Nagaland were Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, and Himachal Pradesh. A total of nine indicators that best represent the wellbeing dimension in the survey were taken into consideration for arriving at this index.

The announcement was made during a dissemination workshop for TAG Report 2018 which was organised by the Naandi (Sanskrit for ‘new beginning’) Foundation and its dissemination partner, ‘Helping Organisation for Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development,’ at Hotel Acacia in Dimapur on December 18. The resource persons include chief policy officer of Naandi Foundation, Rohini Mukherjee; member of Naandi Foundation, Sudhir Kumar Sharma; and senior medical officer, Dr. C Tetseo.

Summation of percentage value of nine indicators for each state was ranked according to their index value. It includes: currently enrolled in educational institution, never married between 13-19 years, do not go for open defecation, hygienic menstrual protection, normal haemoglobin levels, normal body mass index, five or more ‘new age skills’*, own mobile phone, and age appropriate schooling.

The report is stated to be India’s first ever teenage girls’ survey, which was conducted by Naandi Foundation in 2016-17, under the aegis of Project Nanhi Kali (Hindi for ‘small buds’) and KC Mahindra Education Trust. The survey findings have been used to prepare an index to indicate the status of teenage girls in India. It also shows how each state is performing on status of teenage girls and allows comparing between states.

Founded on Nov. 1, 1998 at Hyderabad, Naandi Foundation has been implementing Project Nanhi Kali for over a decade, supporting girls to complete ten years of basic schooling in different part of the country. More than 3,00,000 girls from 15 states have been a part of Nanhi Kali.

The project’s current operations are spread across Maharashtra, national capital region, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, supporting 1,50,000 girls in the programme.

In reaffirmation of commitment to the cause of girl child, Project Nanhi Kali conducted a nationwide survey last year, to understand ‘what it means to be a teenage girl in India today.’ Close to 1000 women surveyors visited over 70,000 households in rural and urban areas in 30 states of India, interviewed teenage girls and took height and weight measurements using digital devices ‘without the use of pen and paper.’

The data collected during 2016-17 were analysed and published as the TAG Report 2018. It was released by the founder of Project Nanhi Kali and Chairman of Naandi Foundation, Anand Mahindra along with three other members—Geeta Phogat, Heena Sidhu, and Poorna Malavath in Mumbai on Oct. 25, 2018.

The report contains various findings about aspirations, challenges, and status of teenage girls.

According to Mukherjee, the team surveyed 22 girls each from 75 urban and rural areas in Nagaland for a duration between four to five months. While talking to Eastern Mirror about the project, she explained that the objective was to eradicate the misconception about teenage girls being vulnerable and weak.

“We want to highlight the fact that she, as an individual, can be educated, healthy, and can contribute to society and to the economy. This surveyed report will help everybody understand the current status of teenage girls and the critical contribution that she can potentially offer to the country,” asserted Mukherjee.

According to the census of India 2011, Nagaland has a teenage girl (13-19 years) population of 1,57,169 out of the total population of 19,78,502 with an adolescent (10-19 years) sex ratio of 935.

In the TAG Report 2018, Nagaland has topped more than 22 states, scoring above 50% mark in almost all the nine indicators. As indicated in the graph, the currently enrolled in educational institution is 89.4%, never married between 13-19 years is 99.2%, do not go for open defecation is 78.9%, hygienic menstrual protection is 74.2%, normal haemoglobin levels is 85.3%, normal body mass index is 72.2%, five or more ‘new age skills’* is 47.5%, own mobile phone is 30.8%, and age appropriate schooling is 47.5% with an index value of 625.

List of ‘new age skills’ covered in TAG survey includes:
1. Ability to make and receive calls on a mobile phone.
2. Fill forms in English or local language.
3. Search for information on the internet, send, and receive emails.
4. Use social media.
5. Write a document in English on a computer.
6. Withdraw money from an ATM, bank, or post office.
7. Ask a male stranger for directions or help.
8. Travel alone on a journey longer than four hours.
9. Live alone.
10. Go to a police station to file a complaint.