Lok Sabha Question No. 1701 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Underweight Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Anto  Antony, Mohammad Jawed, Nusrat Jahan Ruhi, Behanan Benny, T.N. Prathapan, Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1701

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2022

## 'UNDERWEIGHT CHILDREN'

- 1701   SHRI ANTO ANTONY; SHRI BENNY BEHANAN; DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED; SHRIMATI NUSRAT JAHAN RUHI; SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR; SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN

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

- (a)      whether the Government is aware that India has reported high levels of stunting with 35.5 percent children below the age of five being stunted and 32.1 percent underweight between 2019-2021;
- (b) the names of the 235 districts that were to be included under POSHAN Abhiyaan scheme in 2018-19 and the percentage of stunting in these districts  year-wise from 2019 till date;
- (c) the progress made towards achieving the Government target of reducing stunting to  25  percent  by  2022  and  the  manner  in  which  the  Government  proposes  to meet this target;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  begun  implementation  of  the  scheme  in  the remaining districts of all the States and UTs; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  The  status  of  malnutrition  (stunting,  wasting,  and  underweight)  in  the  country amongst  children  under  5  years  is  provided  by  the  National  Family  Health  Survey (NFHS) conducted periodically by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW). The  recently  released  report  of  NFHS-5  (2019-21)  has  shown  improvement  in  key nutrition indicators as compared to NFHS-4 (2015-16). Among children under 5 years of age,  Stunting  has  reduced  from  38.4%  to  35.5%,  while  Wasting  has  reduced  from 21.0% to 19.3% and Underweight has reduced from 35.8% to 32.1%.

- (b)  The  prevalence  of  Stunting  among  Children  under  5  years  in  235  districts  which were included under POSHAN Abhiyaan in 2018-19 is at Annexure I.

(c) to (e) The Government has accorded high priority to the issue of malnutrition and is implementing several schemes/programmes of different Ministries/Departments through States/UTs to address various aspects related to nutrition. This Ministry is implementing POSHAN  Abhiyaan,  Pradhan  Mantri  Matru  Vandana  Yojana,  Anganwadi  Services Scheme  and  Scheme  for  Adolescent  Girls  under  the  Umbrella  Integrated  Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) as direct targeted interventions to address the problem  of  malnutrition  in  the  country.  Children  with  Severe  Acute  Malnutrition  are treated at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

POSHAN Abhiyaan  launched  on  8 th March  2018,  aims  to  reduce  malnutrition  in  the country  in  a  phased  manner  by  adopting  a  synergised  and  result  oriented  approach. The Abhiyaan is being implemented pan India covering all the Districts. The goals of POSHAN Abhiyaan are to achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 06  years,  adolescent  girls,  pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers  in  a  time  bound manner with fixed targets.

Mission Poshan 2.0, an integrated nutrition support programme has been announced in budget 2021-2022 for all States/UTs. It seeks 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,  strengthen  delivery  and  leverage  technology  to  improve  governance  under Poshan Tracker, a robust ICT platform, to improve governance with regard to real time monitoring  of  provisioning  of  supplementary  nutrition  for  prompt  supervisions  and management  of  services.  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  thereunder.  States/UTs have  also  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  centers  to  meet  dietary  diversity  gap  leveraging  traditional knowledge  in  nutritional  practices  has  also  been  taken  up.  Further,  Streamlined Guidelines were issued on 13.01.2021 for transparency and accountability in delivery of supplementary nutrition and to track nutritional outcomes.

Annexure I Prevalence  of  Stunting  among  children  under  5  years  in  235  districts  of States/UTs covered in Phase II (Year 2018-19) as per NFHS 5

| State/UT                   | District Name           | Stunting (%)          |
|----------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|
|                            | Nicobar                 | NFHS 5 (2019-21) 21.6 |
| Andaman & Nicobar          | South Andaman           | 21.1                  |
| Total                      | 2                       |                       |
| Pradesh                    | Guntur                  | 23.8                  |
| Andhra                     | Krishna                 | 29.8                  |
|                            | Spsr Nellore            | 29.2                  |
| Total                      | 3                       |                       |
|                            | Anjaw                   | 23.6                  |
| Dibang                     | Valley                  | 16.9                  |
| Kra Daadi                  |                         | 28.8                  |
|                            | Kurung Kumey            | 29.2                  |
| Arunachal Pradesh Longding |                         | 15.8                  |
| Lower Subansiri            |                         | 30.7                  |
| Namsai                     |                         | 28.7                  |
| Tirap                      |                         | 38.6                  |
| West                       | Siang                   | 24.5                  |
| Total                      | 9                       |                       |
|                            | Baksa                   | 41.2                  |
|                            | Bongaigaon              | 46.2                  |
|                            | Cachar                  | 28.7                  |
|                            | Charaideo               | 39                    |
|                            | Chirang                 | 42.7                  |
|                            | Dhemaji                 | 37.2                  |
|                            | Dibrugarh               | 27.3                  |
|                            | Dima Hasao              | 30.6                  |
|                            | Golaghat                | 26.3                  |
| Assam                      | Hailakandi              | 42.9                  |
|                            | Hojai                   | 39.3                  |
|                            | Kamrup                  | 22.6                  |
|                            | Kokrajhar               | 34.6                  |
|                            | Marigaon                | 43.2                  |
|                            | Nagaon                  | 38.9                  |
| Sivasagar                  |                         | 26.1                  |
|                            | South Salmara Mancachar | 38.9                  |
|                            | Tinsukia                | 32.8                  |
|                            | Udalguri                | 33.8                  |
| Total                      | 19                      |                       |
| Bihar                      | Siwan                   | 36.7                  |
| Total Balod                | 1                       | 33.6                  |
|                            | Baloda Bazar            | 40.9                  |
| Balrampur                  | 35.1                    |                       |
| Bemetara                   |                         | 38.4                  |
| Bilaspur                   |                         | 25.7                  |
| Dhamtari                   | 30.5                    |                       |
| Chhattisgarh Gariyaband    | 28.9                    |                       |
| Janjgir-Champa             | 32.5                    |                       |
|                            | Kondagaon Korea         | 37.6                  |
|                            |                         | 32.1                  |
|                            | Mungeli                 | 30.1                  |
|                            | Raigarh                 | 39.1                  |
|                            | Sukma                   | 41.8                  |
|                            | Surajpur                | 27.6                  |
| Total                      | Surguja                 | 29.4                  |
|                            | 15                      |                       |

|       | Daman & Diu (UT)   | Daman           | 30                   |
|-------|--------------------|-----------------|----------------------|
| Total |                    | 1               |                      |
|       |                    | Amreli          | 35.3                 |
|       |                    | Arvalli         | 47.1                 |
|       |                    | Banas Kantha    | 39                   |
|       |                    | Bharuch         | 40.9                 |
|       |                    | Chhotaudepur    | 48.6                 |
|       |                    | Gandhinagar     | 38.1                 |
|       |                    | Kachchh         | 37.5                 |
|       | Gujarat            | Mahesana        | 31                   |
|       |                    | Mahisagar       | 43.4                 |
|       |                    | Morbi           | 32.9                 |
|       |                    | Navsari         | 36.8                 |
|       |                    | Panch Mahals    | 47.1                 |
|       |                    | Patan           | 50.5                 |
|       |                    | Rajkot          | 38.9                 |
|       |                    | Surat           | 36.1                 |
|       |                    | Tapi            | 41.7                 |
| Total |                    | 16              |                      |
|       |                    | Bhiwani         | 29                   |
|       |                    | Charki Dadri    | 23.9                 |
|       |                    | Gurugram        | 22.1                 |
|       |                    | Kaithal         | 29.9                 |
|       |                    | Karnal          | 29.2                 |
|       | Haryana            | Kurukshetra     | 24.9                 |
|       |                    | Palwal          | 31                   |
|       |                    | Rohtak          | 28.9                 |
|       |                    | Sirsa           | 25                   |
|       |                    | Sonipat         | 23.6                 |
|       |                    | Yamunanagar     | 27.7                 |
| Total |                    | 11              |                      |
|       | Himachal Pradesh   | Una             | 24.7                 |
| Total |                    | 1               |                      |
|       |                    | Badgam          | 26.8                 |
|       |                    | Baramulla       | 23.2                 |
|       |                    | Doda            | 32.7 District (36.5) |
|       | Jammu & Kashmir    | Kargil          | in Ladakh            |
|       |                    | Kathua Kupwara  | 21.8 24.9            |
|       |                    | Rajauri         | 30.3                 |
|       |                    | Ramban          | 25.7                 |
| Total |                    | 8               |                      |
|       |                    | Bokaro          | 36.2                 |
|       |                    | East Singhbum   | 35.9                 |
|       |                    | Khunti          | 38.5                 |
|       | Jharkhand          | Ramgarh         | 35.3                 |
|       |                    | Ranchi          | 28.3                 |
|       |                    | Simdega         | 42.2                 |
| Total |                    | 6               |                      |
|       |                    | Belgaum         | 32.8                 |
|       |                    | Chamarajanagar  | 32.2                 |
|       |                    | Chikballapur    | 31.3                 |
|       |                    | Dharwad         | 45.2                 |
|       | Karnataka          | Gadag           | 45.2                 |
|       |                    | Kodagu          | 30.4                 |
|       |                    | Kolar           | 31.1                 |
|       |                    | Raichur         | 39.8                 |
|       |                    | Shivamogga      | 29 29.6              |
| Total |                    | Uttar Kannad 10 |                      |
| Total | Kerala             | Kasaragod 1     | 25.3                 |

|                | Agar Malwa                             | 40.3                      |
|----------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------|
|                | Anuppur                                | 24                        |
|                | Balaghat                               | 41.9                      |
|                | Betul                                  | 30.8                      |
|                | Harda                                  | 38.8                      |
|                | Hoshangabad                            | 34.8                      |
| Madhya Pradesh | Mandla                                 | 32.1                      |
|                | Narsinghpur                            | 32                        |
|                | Rewa                                   | 37                        |
|                | Sagar                                  | 42.7                      |
|                | Satna                                  | 49.4                      |
|                | Sehore                                 | 21.9                      |
|                | Seoni                                  | 23.5                      |
|                | Shahdol                                | 44                        |
| Total          | 14                                     | 31.8                      |
|                | Akola Aurangabad                       | 34.2                      |
|                | Bhandara                               | 31.3                      |
| Maharashtra    | Latur                                  | 43.2                      |
|                | Palghar                                | 33                        |
|                | Raigad                                 | 35.8                      |
|                | Thane                                  | 40.8                      |
| Total          | 7 Noney                                | (Not available in NFHS-5) |
|                | Prherzawl                              | NA                        |
|                | Kakching                               | NA                        |
|                | Kangpokpi                              | NA                        |
| Manipur        | Churachandpur                          | 25.1                      |
|                | Senapati                               | 27.3                      |
|                | Tamenglong                             | 27.1                      |
|                | Thoubal                                | 31.5                      |
|                | Imphal West                            | 15.6                      |
|                | Ukhrul                                 | 27.1                      |
| Total          | 11 East Garo Hills                     | 39.7                      |
|                | North Garo Hills                       | 35.6                      |
| Meghalaya      | South Garo Hills South West Garo Hills | 29.8 32.2                 |
|                | South West Khasi Hills                 | 51.4                      |
|                | West Garo Hills                        | 39.5                      |
| Total          |                                        |                           |
| Mizoram        | Aizwal Champhai                        | 25.3 27.2                 |
| Total          | Mamit 3                                | 26.4                      |
|                | Mokokchung Mon                         | 31.4 35.5                 |
| Nagaland       |                                        |                           |
|                | Peren                                  | 34.9 44                   |
|                | Zunheboto                              |                           |
| Total          | 4 Central North East                   | 33.5 38.7                 |
| NCT Of Delhi   | South South East                       | 33.4 21.7                 |
|                | South West                             |                           |
| Total          |                                        | 27.1                      |
|                | 5                                      | 28.1                      |
| Orissa         | Anugul Baleshwar Bhadrak               | 24.4 32.3                 |
|                | Cuttack                                | 20.4                      |
|                | Deogarh                                | 28.4                      |

|               | Dhenkanal                  | 33.3      |
|---------------|----------------------------|-----------|
|               | Gajapati                   | 43.4      |
|               | Ganjam                     | 23.9      |
|               | Jajapur                    | 25.5      |
|               | Jharsuguda                 | 27.1      |
|               | Kalahandi                  | 33        |
|               | Kandhamal                  | 34.2      |
|               | Nuapada                    | 43.1      |
|               | Sundargarh                 | 32.9      |
| Total         | 14                         |           |
| Puducherry    | Mahe                       | 48.2      |
| Total         | 1                          |           |
|               | Firozepur                  | 30        |
| Punjab        | Taran Taran                | 23.8      |
|               | Moga                       | 22        |
| Total         | 3                          |           |
|               | Bhilwara                   | 22.6      |
|               | Bikaner                    | 22.8      |
|               | Bundi                      | 30        |
|               | Ganganagar                 | 24.5      |
| Rajasthan     | Hanumangarh                | 24.2      |
|               | Jaisalmer                  | 25.5      |
|               | Jhalawar                   | 34        |
|               | Nagaur                     | 31.5      |
|               | Sikar                      | 23.1      |
| Total         | 9                          |           |
|               | East District              | 17.8      |
| Sikkim        | North Sikkim               | 31.8      |
|               | South District             | 24.8      |
| Total         | 3                          |           |
|               | Thiruvallur                | 18.1      |
|               | Tiruchirappalli            | 27.6      |
| Tamil Nadu    | Tirunelveli                | 29.4      |
|               | Kannya                     | 17.3      |
|               | Kumari                     | 29.2      |
| Total         | Virudhunagar 6             |           |
|               | Jayashankar Bhupalapally   | 32.5      |
|               | Jogulamba Gadwal           | 49.7      |
|               | Kamareddy                  | 33.4      |
|               | Karimnagar                 | 30.3      |
|               | Khammam                    | 22.2      |
|               | Kumuram Bheem Asifabad     | 38.1      |
|               | Mancherial                 | 25.9      |
|               | Medak                      | 36.4      |
| Telangana     | Nagarkurnool               | 35.1      |
|               | Nalgonda                   | 31.7      |
|               | Nirmal                     | 31.7      |
|               | Nizamabad                  | 30.5      |
|               | Sangareddy                 | 32.9      |
|               | Siddipet                   | 28.1      |
|               | Wanaparthy                 | 40.4      |
|               | Warangal Urban             | 29.5      |
| Total         | 16                         |           |
| Tripura       | West Tripura               | 30.3      |
| Total         | 1                          | 35.8      |
|               | Amethi Ballia              | 43.8      |
| Uttar Pradesh | Deoria Gautam Buddha Nagar | 36.8 25.5 |
|               | Hapur                      | 30.2      |
|               | Lalitpur                   | 46.6      |

|             | Mathura           | 31.6              |
|-------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|             | Pratapgarh        | 35.5              |
|             | Saharanpur        | 28.8              |
|             | Sambhal           | 51.6              |
|             | Shamli            | 28.6              |
| Total       | 11                |                   |
|             | Almora            | 26                |
|             | Champawat         | 24.9              |
| Uttarakhand | Nainital          | 23.2              |
|             | Pithoragarh       | 25.6              |
|             | Rudra Prayag      | 25.2              |
|             | Tehri Garhwal     | 29.3              |
| Total       | 6                 |                   |
|             | Alipurduar        | NA (newly formed) |
|             | Bankura           | 30.3              |
|             | Coochbehar        | 28.7              |
|             | Darjeeling        | 34.3              |
|             | Dinajpur Dakshin  | 31.9              |
|             | Hooghly           | 28.9              |
| West Bengal | Jalpaiguri        | 28.9              |
|             | Medinipur East    | 25.8              |
|             | Medinipur West    | 31.1              |
|             | Nadia             | 26.1              |
|             | Paschim Bardhaman | 39.7              |
|             | Purba Bardhaman   | 32.7              |
| Total       | 12                |                   |
| Grand Total | 235               |                   |