Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), August 20:Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged Chief Ministers of southern states to demonstrate "greater sensitivity" towards crimes against women and children, while calling for concerted efforts to address school dropouts and malnutrition among vulnerable sections of society.

He raised the issues with special emphasis while chairing the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council and pointed out that the swift investigation of cases of rape against women and children, and the early disposal of rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases through the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) are very sensitive issues.

"These issues need to be viewed with great sensitivity at the level of the Chief Ministers," Shah addressed while chairing the meeting.

He also mentioned, "After the introduction of the new criminal laws, many tools have become available to us for accelerating the entire process."

The Home Minister said that malnutrition, stunting and the school dropout ratio are very important for our future generations, and that "we should not be satisfied with anything less than 100 per cent in addressing the school dropout ratio."

Shah said that currently the school dropout ratio for the entire country stands at 9.5, and if all states make even incremental improvements, we can bring it down below three per cent.

The Home Minister further said, "If the national dropout ratio goes below three per cent, children will become educated citizens and a conducive environment will be created in the country for implementing the spirit of the Constitution in its true sense down to the grassroots."

"The Home Minister said that we must also pay special attention to malnutrition," the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement quoting Shah.

In a way, Shah said nutrition schemes are also linked to the school dropout ratio.

He further said that we are moving towards an even more dangerous problem of stunting, that is, stunted growth. "This appears to be gradually becoming a national problem that can impair the capabilities of our future generations. Therefore, we must take malnutrition and stunting very seriously," mentioned Shah.

The Home Minister stated that the fight against malnutrition was initiated by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which was eventually accepted across the country. "Now there is a need to pay special attention to it. After 80 years of independence, we cannot place the burden of malnourished children on this country. If implementation is carried out with sensitivity at the Chief Minister level on this issue, the country can be freed from this problem."

He said that it is the responsibility of all of us to contribute towards building an educated and healthy India.

Focusing on the drug-free India movement, Shah said it is a necessity for every government and our society, and that the MHA has prepared a three-year roadmap in which the roles of several departments of the states and the Centre have been defined.

"Until all departments of the Central government and all departments of all state governments join this movement, we will not be able to save the coming generation from this evil," stressed the Minister.

He further said that it is the responsibility of us all to contribute towards building an educated and healthy India.

The meeting was attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lieutenant Governor Admiral (Retd) DK Joshi, Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel, and the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu. Chief secretaries, advisors and other senior officers of the state governments, as well as senior officers of the Central government, also attended the meeting.