Hebbalkar emphasized combating malnutrition, promoting Anganwadi programs, preventing child marriage, and rewarding child-marriage-free gram panchayats with ₹25,000
BENGALURU
Power is not permanent but an opportunity to serve, said Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar during the Karnataka State Child Rights Parliament–2025. She encouraged children to set clear goals and work hard to reach the top in whichever field they choose. Fulfilling the dreams of parents and teachers should guide their journey, she said.
The minister assured that the government is committed to protecting every child’s rights and urged students to grow into educated, secular and constitution-minded citizens. Sharing a personal memory, she said she did not even know her caste until class seven, and a powerful speech she heard in childhood had shaped her life.
Mobile phones are harmful, she warned, calling them a “social scourge” for children. Parents must monitor usage at home, and the more children stay away from mobile phones, the better their growth will be, she said.
Hebbalkar highlighted the government’s fight against malnutrition, recalling key initiatives such as the midday meal scheme started in 1999 and the inclusion of eggs and milk in 2013. Today, 35 lakh children study in Anganwadi centres across Karnataka. She said strict action will be taken to prevent child marriage, and even engagement before 18 will attract punishment. Gram panchayats free from child marriage will receive ₹25,000 rewards.
For better functioning of Anganwadis, workers have been exempted from election duties. Karnataka has 70,000 centres, with 50,000 operating in their own buildings. She noted that ₹200 crore has been allocated for Anganwadi infrastructure in the last two-and-a-half years.
The minister said child protection requires cooperation from all departments—Education, Revenue, Health and Home. Around 120 students from four divisions participated in the two-hour interaction marking World Children’s Day.
Child Protection Commission Chairman Shashidhar S. Kosumbe, trustee Katyayini Chamaraj, and several officials were present.
