Lok Sabha Question No. 215 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-15
Subject: Nutritional Food to Pregnant Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 215

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2017

## NUTRITIONAL FOOD TO PREGNANT WOMEN

## 215. SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has issued any orders for giving substitute nutritional food in place of Panjiri being distributed among the pregnant women to check malnutrition;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  other  measures  or  policy  formulated  by  the  Government  to  eradicate  malnutrition  in pregnant women in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (DR.VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a) & ( b)    Supplementary  Nutrition  is  one  of  the  six  services  provided  under  the  Anganwadi Services of Umbrella ICDS Scheme.  Sections 4,5,6 & 7 of the National Food Security Act, promulgated in 2013, mandate the nutritional entitlement for children and pregnant women and lactating  mothers.  Schedule  II  of  the  aforesaid  Act  prescribes  nutritional  norms  for  the aforesaid beneficiaries.  In pursuance of Section 39 of the Act, Supplementary Nutrition (under ICDS) Rules were notified on 20.02.2017; a copy of which was laid on the Table of both the Houses of Parliament. Nutritional norms as per Schedule II of the Act are as under:

| S.No.   | Category                                            | Type of meal                      |   Calories (Kcal) | Protein(g)   |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------|--------------|
| 1.      | Children (6 months to 3 years)                      | Take Home Ration                  |               500 | 12-15        |
| T 2.    | Children (3 to 6 years)                             | Morning snack and Hot Cooked Meal |               500 | 12-15        |
| h e 3.  | Children (6 months to 6 years) who are malnourished | Take Home Ration                  |               800 | 20-25        |
| 4.      | Lower Primary classes                               | Hot Cooked Meal                   |               450 | 12           |
| b s 5.  | Upper Primary classes                               | Hot Cooked Meal                   |               700 | 20           |
| T 6.    | Pregnant women and Lactating mothers                | Take Home Ration                  |               600 | 18-20        |

The  above  statement  shows  the  nutritional  norms  for  children  and  pregnant  women  and lactating mothers.  The definition of 'meal' has been given in the NFSA, 2013.  The recipes for the  Supplementary  Nutrition  to  be  served  to  the  beneficiaries  are  to  be  decided  by  the States/UTs keeping in view the availability of local food and the eating habits.

- (c) The Ministry is implementing several schemes and programs like Anganwadi Services under the  Umbrella  Integrated  Child  Development  Services  Scheme,  Scheme  for  Adolescent  Girls and  Pradhan  Mantri  Matru  Vandana  Yojna  as  direct  targeted  interventions  to  address  the problem of malnutrition in the country. Recently, National Nutrition Mission has been set up to act  as  an  apex  body  for  monitoring  and  guiding  the  nutrition  related  issues  of  various government schemes.

Besides,  Food  and  Nutrition  Board  (FNB)  of  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development with its 43 field units in India is engaged in creating awareness in nutrition in collaboration with State Government / institutions through exhibitions; advertisement in audiovisual and print media; lectures promoting the consumption of balanced diets and inclusion of fruits and vegetables in daily diets in addition to demonstrations of low cost nutritious recipes using locally available foods; training of field functionaries and training in food preservation for grassroots level workers; celebration of nutrition related events, etc.

All  these  schemes  address  one  or  other  aspects  related  to  nutrition  and  have  the potential to improve nutritional outcomes in the country. As a result of these concerted efforts, the  level  of  malnutrition  has  reduced  in  the  country  as  is  evident  from  the  recent  report  of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - 4, 2015-16.

*******