Lok Sabha Question No. 2296 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Integrated Child Development Services Scheme
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ratansinh Magansinh Rathod, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Supriya Sadanand Sule, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Kuldeep Rai Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2296

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2021

## INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SCHEME

2296: SHRI RATANSINH MAGANSINH RATHOD:

SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE:

DR.DNV SENTHILKUMAR.S.:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR.AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

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

- (a) the  aims  and  objectives  of  launching  Integrated  Child  Development  Services (ICDS) Scheme including challenges faced while implementing the same;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  launched  awareness  programme  for  successful implementation  of  ICDS,  if  so,  the  number  of  such  awareness  programmes launched during the last three years and achievement made therein;
- (c) the details of the programmes implemented under the ICDS Scheme during each of the last three years and the current year in the State of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands;
- (d) the details of the funds allocated, released and its utilization reported by the said states  under  the  scheme  during  the  said  period  along  with  the  number  of beneficiaries enrolled;
- (e) whether a large number of children and pregnant women enrolled under ICDS scheme died during the last few years and if so, details of the action taken in this regard; and
- (f) whether the Government has approved Strengthening and Restructuring of ICDS Scheme and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Anganwadi Services (Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme) is a Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  implemented  by  States/UTs with the following objectives:-
- i. To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group of 0-6 years;
- ii. To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child;
- iii. To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropouts;
- iv. To  achieve  effective  co-ordination  of  policy  and  implementation  amongst  the various departments to promote child development; and
- v. To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

Under  Anganwadi  Services,  a  package  of  six  services,  namely,  (i)  Supplementary Nutrition;  (ii)  Pre-school  Non-formal  Education;  (iii)  Nutrition  &  Health  Education;  (iv) Immunization; (v) Health Check-up; and (vi) Referral Services has been provided to all eligible beneficiaries, namely, children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers through the platform of Anganwadi Centres across the country. Three of the services viz. Imunization, Health Check-up and Referral Services are related to health and are provided through NRHM & Public Health Infrastructure.

Challenges including filling up of vacancies of Anganwadi Services functionaries, issues around anganwadi infrastructure, smooth delivery of services to beneficiaries etc have been addressed during the implementation of the Scheme  through sustained engagements with States.

(b)   In  order  to  strengthen  processes  for  community  engagement,  empowerment  of beneficiaries  and  increased  social  accountability  of  ICDS,  the  POSHAN  Abhiyaan provides for the organization of Community Based Events (CBEs) twice in a month on a fixed  day  of  week  by  each  Anganwadi  Centre.  Under  Community  Based  Events, Annaprasan  Diwas,  Suposan  Diwas  (specifically  focused  on  orienting  husbands), Celebrating coming of age- getting ready for pre-school at AWC, Messages related to public  health  for  improvement  of  nutrition  and  to  reduce  illness  are  covered.  Approx. 3.70 crore CBEs have been conducted so far.

Nutrition-centric annual Jan Andolans like Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada helped reaching out to the people. The month of September is celebrated as Rashtriya Poshan Maah across the country.  Similarly, 8-22  March is celebrated as Poshan Pakhwada. The Poshan Maah and Pakhwada celebrated so far have witnessed wide participation and enthusiasm from convergent Ministries, States/UTs and field functionaries, frontline workers, community groups, PRIs, staff at Block and District level, State departments and  Ministries. So  far,  four  Poshan  Maah  and  three  Poshan  Pakhwada  have  been celebrated. The recently held Poshan Maah in September 2021 marked more than 20 crore activities nationwide.

No.  of  activities  held  in  all  the  Jan  Andolans  so  far  since  the  launch  of  POSHAN Abhiyaan are as follows:

|   Jan Andolan | Poshan Pakhwada (No. of activities)   | Poshan Maah (No. of activities)   |
|---------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|          2021 | 2,21,48,186                           | 20,32,70,763                      |
|          2020 | 1,43,15,766                           | 13,85,79,083                      |
|          2019 | 83,41,000                             | 3,66,55,410                       |
|          2018 | -                                     | 22,58,542                         |

(c) and (d) The details of funds allocated, released and utilized for the last three years and current year by States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands is  at Annexure  I .  The  number  of  beneficiaries  enrolled  for  the  last  three  years  and current year by States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands is at Annexure II.

(e)  It  is  submitted  that  no  such  information  has  been  brought  to  the  notice  of  the ministry.

(f)          From  time  to  time  Government  has  taken  many  steps  for  strengthening Anganwadi Services. These include revision of cost norms of supplementary nutrition, provision  of  construction  of  Anganwadi  Centres  under  Convergence  with  Mahatma Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  provision  of drinking  water  and  sanitation  facilities  under  Swacchta  Action  Plan  (SAP)  etc.  There have been sustained engagements with State Governments for review and improvement  including  recent  interactions  to  discuss  different  implementation  related issues to strengthen services. Further, streamlined guidelines were issued on 13.01.2021, covering several aspects such as quality assurance, roles and responsibilities of duty holders, procedure for procurement, integrating  AYUSH concepts and Data management  and  monitoring  through  'Poshan  Tracker'  for transparency,  efficiency  and  accountability  in  delivery  of  Supplementary  Nutrition  has been issued.

- *******

## Annexure-I

Statement referred to in  part  (c)   and  (d)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Q.No.2296  for answer  on  10.12.2021  regarding  Integrated  Child  Development  Services  Scheme asked  by  SHRI  RATANSINH  MAGANSINH  RATHOD:  SHRI  SUNIL  DATTATRAY TATKARE:  DR.DNV  SENTHILKUMAR.S.:  SHRIMATI  SUPRIYA  SULE:  DR.AMOL RAMSING KOLHE: SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

Details of funds allocated, released and utilized for the last three years and current year by States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands-

Fund released under Anganwadi Services (Rs. in lakhs)

|    | S.NoName State/ UT          | 2018-19       | 2018-19        | 2018-19        | 2019-20           | 2019-20        | 2019-20        |
|----|-----------------------------|---------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|----------------|----------------|
|    | S.NoName State/ UT          | APIP Approved | Funds released | Funds Utilized | APIP Approved     | Funds released | Funds Utilized |
| 1. | Maharashtra                 | 114213.97     | 171214.38      |                | 120255.4129779.45 | 133136.17      | 141074.95      |
| 2. | Gujarat                     | 61730.48      | 63148.37       | 55687.48       | 71652.67          | 68684.12       | 70856.28       |
| 3. | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1213.36       | 1291.31        | 1181.5         | 1565.88           | 1190.78        | 1129.98        |

## Fund released under Anganwadi Services (Rs. in lakhs)

| S.NoName   | of State/ UT                | 2020-21       | 2020-21          | 2020-21                                                                                                                               | 2021-22       | 2021-22         |
|------------|-----------------------------|---------------|------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|-----------------|
|            | of State/ UT                | APIP Approved | Funds released   | Funds Utilized                                                                                                                        | APIP Approved | Funds released* |
| 1.         | Maharashtra                 | 135921.45     | 118783.20Unspent |                                                                                                                                       | 158178.15     | 66717.68        |
| 2.         | Gujarat                     | 75030.06      | 61594.01         | Balance/Excess                                                                                                                        | 67956.72      | 35917.10        |
| 3.         | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 2287.54       | 1525.44          | expenditure of F.Y 2020-21 will be adjusted in the funds released during 2021-22 after receiving UCs/ SoEs from respective States/UTs | 1681.02       | 780.72          |

*As on 28.11.2021

## Annexure-II

Statement referred to in the part (c)  and (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Q.No.2296 for answer  on  10.12.2021  regarding  Integrated  Child  Development  Services  Scheme asked  by  SHRI  RATANSINH  MAGANSINH  RATHOD:  SHRI  SUNIL  DATTATRAY TATKARE:  DR.DNV  SENTHILKUMAR.S.:  SHRIMATI  SUPRIYA  SULE:  DR.AMOL RAMSING KOLHE: SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

Details of total beneficiaries enrolled for the last three years and current year by States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands-

|   S.No | Name of State/ UT           |   March -18 |   March -19 |   March -20 |   March -21 |
|--------|-----------------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|      1 | Maharashtra                 |     6317563 |     6157897 |     7159808 |     7506390 |
|      2 | Gujarat                     |     3849595 |     3849595 |     3780623 |     4216065 |
|      3 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |       13189 |       11966 |       12967 |       19565 |