Lok Sabha Question No. 116 (STARRED), answered on 2019-06-28
Subject: Inspection of Anganwadis
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Meenakashi Lekhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 116 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.06.2019

## INSPECTION OF ANGANWADIS

116. SHRIMATI MEENAKSHI LEKHI:

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

- (a) whether regular inspections of the Anganwadis are conducted by the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) authorities, if so, the details and the outcome thereof;
- (b) whether improvements have been observed in maternal health since the implementation of ICDS Scheme and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether  the  number  of  malnourished  children  has  reduced  during  the  last  three  years across the country and is so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

- (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 Lok  Sabha Starred Question No.116 by Shrimati Meenakshi Lekhi to be answered on 28.06.2019 regarding Inspection of Anganwadis

- (a) This  Ministry  issued  the  ' Guidelines  for  Monitoring  and  Supervision  Visits  to  ICDS  Blocks  and Anganwadi Centres by officials of States and Central Government ' on 20.10.2010 to all the States/UTs in order to standardize the practice of monitoring and supervision visits under the Anganwadi Services of Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme.  These Guidelines prescribe the minimum requirement of visits which are to be made by officials of the State and Central Government. The States/UTs were requested to adhere to the Guidelines for implementation and also to ensure a mechanism for reviewing the monitoring and supervision visits. These Guidelines also prescribe checklists for making monitoring and supervisory visits by the officials.

Government has also  introduced  a  5-tier  monitoring  and  review  mechanism  at  different  levels (National/State/District/Block  and  Anganwadi  level)  for  monitoring  the  status  of  Anganwadi  Centres (AWCs) for which guidelines were issued on 31.03.2011. Composition and key roles of such committees at different level have been defined therein.

Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  continuously  monitoring  implementation  of  Anganwadi Services Scheme including inspection/visits to Anganwadi Centres. During 2018-19, a total number of 2512 AWCs were visited/ inspected by Central Monitoring Unit, National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) in 13 States/UTs. The points emerged during the inspection/visits were  shared  with  concerned  States/UTs  for  taking  remedial  action  to  improve  the  implementation  of Anganwadi Services Scheme.

- (b): Improvement in the status of maternal health in the country has been observed as per National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Report as below:
- (i) As per NFHS -III (2005-06), 57.9% Pregnant women (15-49 years) were anaemic. Similarly as per NFHS-IV  (2015-16),  50.4%  pregnant  women  were  anaemic.  Thus,  anaemia  percentage  among pregnant women has decreased by 7.5% in the country during the aforesaid period.
- (ii) Maternal Mortality Ratio of India has declined by 37 points from 167/lakh live births in 2011-13 to 130/lakh live births in 2014-16.
- (c) As  per  National  Family  Health  Surveys  (NFHS), there  has  been  a  decline in  the  prevalence  of malnourishment  among  children  (0-5  years) from 42.5%  in NFHS-III (2005-2006) to  35.8  % in NFHSIV (2015-2016). The improvement in the nutrition status of children in the last decade is given below:

|   S.No. | Child under-nutrition Indicators           | NFHS III (2005-2006)   | NFHS IV (2015-16)   |
|---------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Children under 5 years who are stunted     | 48.0%                  | 38.4%               |
|       2 | Children under 5 years who are wasted      | 19.8%                  | 21.0%               |
|       3 | Children under 5 years who are underweight | 42.5%                  | 35.7%               |

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