The Bombay High Court has mandated the Maharashtra government and concerned petitioners to collaboratively develop a comprehensive assessment regarding malnutrition affecting children in the state's tribal territories.

This judicial directive emerges from longstanding litigation spanning over twenty years, initially focused on malnutrition challenges in Melghat region and subsequently extending to include Nandurbar district. The bench, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe alongside Justice Sandeep Marne, has specified three critical components for the required documentation.

The court-ordered report must identify specific villages where malnutrition remains a persistent challenge, document governmental interventions implemented following previous judicial instructions, and propose sustainable mechanisms to permanently address this crisis. The justices emphasized the necessity for current statistical data to enable effective judicial action.

Previous reports indicate that approximately 10,000 children die annually from malnutrition and related conditions in Maharashtra's tribal regions. ‘Not nuns, but Constitution in captive’: Syro-Malabar Church mouthpiece slams Centre | Kerala nuns arrest in Chhattisgarh The court acknowledged some progress has occurred, though Advocate Uday Warunjikar, representing petitioners, confirmed that numerous villages continue experiencing these difficulties despite years of intervention efforts.

Chief Justice Aradhe questioned the availability of recent mortality data, stating the court lacks updated information on child deaths. The bench expressed concern about the judiciary's role in continuous monitoring, suggesting state authorities must assume greater responsibility for addressing this humanitarian crisis.

During 2023 proceedings, the court had instructed officials to select eight to ten Melghat villages for implementing targeted anti-malnutrition strategies, with successful models to be replicated throughout other affected regions. State data previously revealed 6,852 child deaths attributed to malnutrition over a three-year period. Kerala Nuns Arrested in Chhattisgarh After Bajrang Dal Protest | Church Alleges False Charges

The court has stressed that comprehensive, current data remains essential for determining appropriate judicial remedies and ensuring effective governmental accountability in addressing this persistent public health emergency affecting Maharashtra's most vulnerable tribal populations.