Lok Sabha Question No. 707 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: National Nutrition Mission
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, Sudheer Gupta, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 707

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2021

## NATIONAL NUTRITION MISSION

707.     SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

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

- (a)       whether malnutrition is responsible for two-third of child deaths in India and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there is an urgent need to focus on National Nutrition Mission to address the situation of prevailing malnourishment in the country effectively;
- (c)      if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  urged  the  States  to  pay  special  attention  towards effective implementation of the Poshan Abhiyaan, a programme launched with the aim of reducing levels of  stunting, undernutrition, anemia and low birth weight in children;
- (e) if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
- (f) the other steps taken by the Government to tackle the problem of malnourishment in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (f)  Data  on  child  deaths  caused  by  malnutrition  is  not  separately  maintained. Government  implements  Anganwadi  Services,  Pradhan  Mantri  Matru  Vandana  Yojana  and Scheme  for  Adolescent  Girls  under  the  Umbrella  Integrated  Child  Development  Services Scheme  (ICDS)  as  targeted  interventions  to  address  the  problem  of  malnutrition  in  the country.

For alleviation of malnutrition, Government has announced Mission Poshan 2.0 to strengthen nutritional  content,  delivery,  outreach  and  outcomes with focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition. Steps have been taken to improve  nutritional  quality  and  testing  in  accredited  labs,  strengthen  delivery  and  leverage technology to improve governance. Government has advised States/UTs to ensure that the quality of supplementary nutrition conforms to prescribed standards laid down under the Food Safety  and  Standards  Act,  2006  and  regulations  made  there  under.  States/UTs  have  been advised  to  promote use  of  AYUSH  systems  for prevention  of  malnutrition  and  related diseases. A programme to support development of Poshan Vatikas at Anganwadi centres to meet  dietary  diversity  gap  leveraging  traditional  knowledge  in  nutritional  practices  has  also been taken up.

States/UTs  have  been advised  to  ensure  that Hot  Cooked  Meals  are  prepared  in  proper kitchen sheds having adequate sanitation and safe drinking water and promote use of AYUSH systems  for prevention of malnutrition and  related diseases. A programme  to support development of Poshan  Vatikas at Anganwadi  centres to meet dietary diversity gap leveraging traditional wisdom in nutritional practices has also been taken up.

******