UNICEF with India 75

Marking 75 years of working with Government of India for furthering the rights of every child

Campaign

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हिंदी

UNICEF marks 75 years of its existence in India.

Over the last seven and a half decades, UNICEF in India has been active in development and humanitarian response to support the Government of India toward realizing children’s rights to life, health, safety, and well-being.

UNICEF celebrates its partnership with India, a strong foundation that has nurtured children and their health. From helping set up the first-ever penicillin plant in India to providing crucial technical support to Amul, we have travelled together hand in hand.

We partnered with the Government to install the MARK series of handpumps and usher in the country's water revolution.

Working together with the Government, partners, and front-line health workers, we supported the eradication of smallpox and polio in India, from 200,000 polio cases in the 1980s to zero cases in 2012.

We worked closely with the Government of India to ensure every child had the right to education. We supported the India Newborn Action Plan and the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.

We were proud partners in the Honourable Prime Minister’s vision of the Swachh Bharat Mission and helped India achieve its vision of becoming Open Defecation-Free. And we stood hand in hand with the government of India in the fight against COVID-19.

More than ever before, we must work harder to fulfil the dream we collectively saw 75 years ago for all children in India.
Our history says together, we can do anything that we set our minds to. Join us in making this dream come true where every child has a healthy, safe, and bright future - a future free of disease, violence and exploitation.
We will not rest – our journey has just begun. Together, let us reimagine a fair world for every child.

UNICEF

The UNICEF@75 logo represents a dancing child in the colours of the UNICEF brand's secondary palette. The child is dancing to represent the joy at the improvement in the quality of life for children over the past 75 years.
The child is created in fluid and mobile lines, representing the agility with which UNICEF responds to the needs of children in various situations across the country and the world.

Video Stories of 75 years of UNICEF with India

Stories of 75 years of UNICEF with India

Giving Girls Safe Spaces To Fly

More than an award, BSVP is driving change in over 60,000 Bihar schools—measuring toilets, water, hygiene, and safe spaces like Saheli Kaksh.

Mamta Yadav, also known as Asha Didi, is actively engaged in the Dastak program. She is effectively conducting door-to-door visits as part of her efforts.

Dastak: Mamta’s “Knock” on every door, For every child in Uttar Pradesh

How a village ASHA worker and a campaign transformed Gorakhpur from despair to hope

Anganwadi worker, Minakshi Mankar, teache the games to Nilesh Rathor, and his wife Pooja to play with their one year and one month old son Vihan at the Anganwadi no 76, in Samtanagar, Warud village, in the District of Amravati, Maharashtra , India, 21 October 2024.

Aarambh: The Joyful Beginnings of Life

Aarambh in Maharashtra supports children’s first steps with early learning, play, nutrition, and health—UNICEF stands as a proud partner.

Vandana Bardi with her healthy baby at the PHC, Madded

Special Newborn Care Unit: Breath of Hope

More than 1,000 Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) across India save vulnerable newborns’ lives and bring hope to parents

Akha: The Boat of Hope

Across the difficult riverine islands in Assam, ingenious Solar Direct-Drive Refrigeration (SD-DR) units at the Boat Clinic have changed how health workers like Nirupoma deliver immunization services.

Kanyashree Prakalpa: Building a Brighter Future for Every Girl in West Bengal

From resilience to opportunity—Bina, Meena, Riya, and Shatabdi reflect the transformative power of Kanyashree Prakalpa.

The Advika group make their way through their village to the Anganwadi Centre

Advika – Empowering Girls in a Unique Way

Children, youth, parents, community member and government officials come together with UNICEF to end child marriage in Odisha

Members of Adolescent Girls Federation (AGF) and Bal Panchayat along with Saathin are gathered for a meeting at the Gram Panchayat.

Empowering Children through Child-Friendly Panchayats in Rajasthan

Through Bal Panchayats and Sabhas, children aged 10–18 are leading change—fighting child marriage, pushing for education, and protecting the environment.

UNICEF with India75 Posts

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UNICEF with India @75

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In 1985 in India, an elderly couple from the nomadic Banjari tribe sits smiling with their grandchildren in a dwelling near the south-central city of Hyderabad, capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

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1940's
Basic Cooperation Agreement
The Agreement, signed on 10 May 1949, marked the beginning of the relationship between GoI and UNICEF.

India’s First Penicillin Plant
India’s first penicillin plant was set up at Pimpri in 1954. UNICEF provided equipment and technical assistance.

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During 1940s, Kaira Union (AMUL), a milk cooperative, faced a problem. Their surplus milk could not be sold. The livelihood of thousands of milk farmers was in jeopardy. Dr. Verghese Kurien, the legendary “Father of the White Revolution”, convinced UNICEF and others that the surplus buffalo milk could be converted into powder. In 1954, UNICEF signed an agreement with the Government of India to fund the Aarey and Anand milk processing plants. In return, free and subsidised milk would be provided to needy ch

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1950's
The White Revolution
In 1954, UNICEF helped GoI set up two milk processing plants. In 10 years, India had 13 UNICEF-assisted milk processing plants.

India's first Plant to Eradicate Malaria
UNICEF provided equipment and technical assistance to set up the plant in 1954.

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1960's
Applied Nutrition Programme With support from WHO and FAO, UNICEF worked with GoI to launch a nationwide Applied Nutrition Programme in 1963.

Bihar Drought
UNICEF supplied drilling rigs at the Prime Minister's request in 1966, aiding in the expansion of rural drinking water programmes.

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In 1970, the Government of India ran the world’s largest rural water supply programme. Previously,villages only supplied single-family hand pumps which weren't sturdy,  for large consumption This led to a collaboration between UNICEF, Government's Mechanical Engineering Research and Development Organisation and Richardson and Cruddas to develop India Mark II. The design was inspired from  the Sholapur Pump which was strong and well-engineered.

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1970's
The Water Revolution
During the 1970s, India needed a strong, locally manufactured hand pump that could be easily maintained. UNICEF worked with GOI to develop the India Mark II and Mark III human-powered hand pumps.

Integrated Child Development Services
UNICEF supported the GoI in launching the ICDS scheme to improve nutrition and health for children and mothers in 1975. The scheme now reaches 100 million children.

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IDD - Iodine Deficiency Disorders Local anganwadi women workers are being involved in campaigning for the awareness of the IDD. Iodine tends to evaporate once washed or dried in sun. The storage and sale of salt also becomes a worrying issue as it is mostly sold in open and dirty surroundings. Once bought, consumers wash and dry these before finally crushing the salt for use. The IDD campaign is driven towards urging people to use iodized salt for the prevention of iodine deficiency. Iodine is needed in the

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1980's
Guinea Worm Eradication Programme
UNICEF supported India's national programme to rid the country of an agonising disease caused by guinea worms in 1983.

National Mission on Immunization
UNICEF supported Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's National Mission on Immunization in 1985. At the end of 1990, India's immunization coverage for children under1 had surpassed 80 per cent.

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1990s
Iodine Deficiency Disorder
Since the 1990s, GoI, UNICEF, other UN agencies, and NGOs have been working together to promote Iodised salt as best way to prevent Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

Women Handpump mechanic
A UNICEF-supported project launched in 1992 aimed at building the capacity of women handpump mechanics and helping them do skilled and heavy labour work. It helped break many glass ceilings.

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2000s
Gujarat Earthquake
UNICEF efforts were aimed at revitalising the education system with modern learning tools and methodologies devastated by 2001 earthquake.

The Right to Education Act
UNICEF worked with the Government and civil society to enact the RTE Act 2009, which ensured children's right to free and compulsory education.

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On 9 October 2012, Vaishnavi Navalji Dadmal, 9, poses for a photograph at her residential toilet in Chandrapur District, Nagpur.

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2010s

Polio Campaign
There were 200,000 polio cases per year in 1988, but there were zero in 2012. Thanks to a massive vaccination campaign formulated by the GoI, UNICEF, and partners.

The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)
By 2019, SBM had provided 105 million household toilets, providing access to 525 million people. UNICEF is proud partner of the SBM. 

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2020-2021

Fighting COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted children and young people at an unprecedented scale. UNICEF remained committed to supporting the Government in reaching communities with life-saving supplies and services, especially during the pandemic.