Lok Sabha Question No. 15 (STARRED), answered on 2018-02-02
Subject: Malnutrition among Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: C. N. JAYADEVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 15 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2018

## MALNUTRITIONAMONG CHILDREN

15. SHRI C. N. JAYADEVAN :

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is fact that the malnutrition is rampant among children of less than five years of age and the National Food Security Act, 2013 has not been much effective as expected to address this problem;

- (b) if so, the details thereof; and

- (c) the challenges being faced in its implementation and the remedial steps proposed to be taken to address the problem of malnutrition effectively?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

- (a)        to (c)  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (c) of LokSabha Starred Question No. 15 for 02.02.2018 by Shri C. N. Jayadevan regarding Malnutrition Among Children

- (a) & (b)  As per the recent report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - 4 conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2015-16, 35.7% children under 5 years of age  are  underweight  and  38.4%  are  stunted  indicating  a  reduction  from  the  previous NFHS - 3 conducted in 2005-06, which reported 42.5% children under 5 years of age as underweight and 48% stunted.  The above data shows that there is a reduction in the level of malnutrition among children in the country.

Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the National Food Security Act, 2013 have converted the provision of Supplementary Nutrition (SN) to the beneficiaries of Anganwadi Services into  a  legal  entitlement.  The  impact  of  Supplementary  Nutrition  provided  to  the beneficiaries of Anganwadi Services especially the children is evident from reduction in the levels of malnutrition among the children as mentioned above. However, as per the ICDS  (Supplementary  Nutrition)  Rules,  2017,  supplementary  nutrition  is  provided  to those beneficiaries who visit the Anganwadi Centres as the scheme is self-selecting.

- (c) Supplementary Nutrition, now mandated under the NFSA, 2013, has been one of the six services  provided  under  the  Anganwadi  Services  (ICDS) Scheme since 1975.  Besides making  supplementary  nutrition  a  legal  entitlement,  NFSA  also  provides  payment  of Food  Security  Allowance  in  case  of  non-supply  of  supplementary  nutrition  to  the beneficiary.    It  also  makes  provision  for  supply  of  food  grains  at  NFSA  rates  for preparation  of  supplementary  nutrition  under  the  Anganwadi  Services  scheme.    The challenges being faced in the implementation of the scheme, i.e., providing supplementary nutrition to the beneficiaries are related to timely release of funds by the States/UTs as their share, timely payment of honorarium to the functionaries, leakages, supply  chain  management  issues,  monitoring  and  supervision,  etc.    These  issues  are addressed  with  improved  monitoring  mechanism  through  Rapid  Reporting  System  and ICT-Real  Time  Monitoring  under  the  newly  approved  National  Nutrition  Mission  in addition to the in-built five-tier monitoring system under the scheme.

Further,  the  Ministry  is  also  implementing  Scheme  for  Adolescent  Girls  and Pradhan Mantri MatruVandanaYojana under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Schemeas direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in a lifecycle approach. All these schemes address one or other aspects related to nutrition and have the potential to improve nutritional outcomes in the country.

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