Lok Sabha Question No. 3020 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: Malnutrition among Women in Jharkhand
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Nalin Soren

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3020

TO BE ANSWERED ON 9.08.2024

## MALNUTRITION AMONG WOMEN IN JHARKHAND

3020.   SHRI NALIN SOREN:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a)  The  details  of  the  schemes  being  implemented  by  the  Government  to  prevent growing malnutrition among women in Jharkhand;
- (b)  Whether  the  Government  has  fixed  any  responsibility  to  ensure  the  proper implementation of the said schemes; and
- (c)   If so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) Under the 15th Finance Commission Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for  Adolescent  girls  (14-18  years  in  Aspirational  Districts  and  North-East region) have been subsumed under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission  Poshan  2.0)  to  address  the  challenge  of  malnutrition  through  improved nutrition  content  and  delivery.  This  is  a  universal  self-selecting  (no  entry  barriers) scheme available to all the beneficiaries who enroll at the Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) and is being implemented in all States/UTs across the country including in the State of Jharkhand.

Under  Mission  Poshan  2.0  a  strategic  shift  has  been  made  for  reduction  in malnutrition  and  for  improved  health,  wellness  and  immunity  through  community engagement, outreach, behavioral change, and advocacy. The scheme focuses on Maternal  Nutrition,  Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  Norms,  treatment  of  Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)/ Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and wellness through AYUSH practices to reduce wasting, underweight prevalence, stunting and anaemia.

Under this scheme, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years),  Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls to address the intergenerational  cycle  of  malnutrition  by  adopting  a  life  cycle  approach.  The Supplementary nutrition is provided in accordance with the nutrition norms contained in  Schedule-II  of  the  National  Food  Security  Act.  To  address  the  challenge  of malnutrition more effectively, these norms have been revised. The old norms were largely calorie-specific, however, the revised norms are more comprehensive and balanced in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the  principles  of  diet  diversity  that  provides  quality  protein,  healthy  fats  and micronutrients.

Fortified rice is being supplied to AWCs to meet the requirement of micro-nutrients and control anaemia among women and children. Greater emphasis is being given on the use of millets for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal at least once a week and Take Home ration (THR - not raw ration) at Anganwadi centers for beneficiaries.

Ministry of Women & Child Development and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare jointly released the protocol for Community Management of Malnutrition (CMAM) to prevent and treat severe acute malnutrition in children and for reducing associated morbidity and mortality.

Under  Mission  Poshan  2.0,  one  of  the  major  activities  undertaken  is  Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy leading to Jan Andolan to educate the people on nutritional aspects. State and  UTs  are conducting and  reporting regular sensitisation  activities  under  community  engagement  programmes  during  Poshan Maahs and Poshan Pakhwadas celebrated in the months of September and MarchApril  respectively.  Community  Based  Events  (CBEs)  have  served  as  a  significant strategy  in  changing  nutrition  practices and all  Anganwadi  workers  are  required to conduct two Community Based Events every month.

To  improve  the  delivery  of  supplementary  nutrition  and  Early  Childhood  Care  and Education  (ECCE),  Government  of  India  has  directed  States/UTs  to  co-locate Anganwadi  Centres,  which  are  running  on  rent  without  sufficient  infrastructure,  at nearby  Primary  Schools,  where  space  is  available.  Further,  the  Government  has decided to upgrade all Mini AWCs with one worker to a full- fledged Anganwadi Centre with one worker and one helper.

Under Mission Poshan 2.0, for the 15th Finance Commission cycle, there is a provision of  strengthening  and  upgradation  of  two  lakh  Anganwadi  Centres  located  in Government buildings @ 40,000 AWCs per year for improved nutrition delivery and ECCE to beneficiaries. Till date, 92108 AWCs have been sanctioned for upgradation to Saksham Anganwadi.

Moreover, there is a provision of construction of 50,000 new Anganwadi buildings over a period of five years @10,000 AWCs per year. Till date, 34,156 AWCs have been allocated for construction under MGNREGS.

In addition, Ministry of Women & Child Development is also implementing Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) which is a centrally sponsored scheme. It aims  to  provide  cash  incentive  through  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT)  mode  to Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) for partial compensation for wage loss so that she can take adequate rest before and after delivery and to improve her health seeking behaviour. Benefit of ₹5,000/- in two instalments are provided for first child. Further, as per the new guideline for 'Mission Shakti', applicable with effect from

01.04.2022, the scheme seeks to promote positive behavioural change towards girl child by providing additional cash incentive of ₹6,000/- for the second child, if that is a girl child.

(b)  and  (c) Mission  Poshan  2.0  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  scheme,  where  the responsibility  of  implementation  of  the  scheme  falls  under  the  ambit  of  State Government/UT  administration.  Various  matters  pertaining  to  implementation  of scheme are reviewed with States at various levels through sustained engagements/meetings/video conferences on regular basis.

Streamlining Guidelines have been issued by MWCD on 13th January 2021 on 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. Nutritional Status and Quality Standards of food items under Supplementary Nutrition, and Transparency is being monitored in Supply Chain Management at State, District and Village Level.

IT  systems  have  been  leveraged  to  strengthen  and  bring  about  transparency  in nutrition delivery support systems at the Anganwadi centres. The 'Poshan Tracker' application was rolled out on 1st March, 2021 as an important governance tool. The Poshan  Tracker  facilitates  monitoring  and  tracking  of  all  AWCs,  AWWs  and beneficiaries  on  defined  indicators.  Technology  under  Poshan  Tracker  is  being leveraged  for  dynamic  identification  of  stunting,  wasting,  under-weight  prevalence among children. The mobile application has also facilitated digitization and automation of  physical  registers  used  by  AWWs  that  helps  in  improving  their  quality  of  work. Poshan  Tracker  is  available  in  24  languages  including  Hindi  and  English.  It  has facilitated near real time data collection and monitoring of Anganwadi Services, at all levels, which include daily attendance, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Provision of Hot Cooked Meal (HCM)/Take Home Ration (THR-not raw ration), Growth Measurement etc.

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