Lok Sabha Question No. 3193 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: Integrated Child Development Scheme
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3193

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2024

## INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

3193. SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE: SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT: SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

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

- (a) Whether  the  Government  has  re-aligned  the  Integrated  Child  Development Scheme (ICDS) under the Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0;
- (b) If so, the details thereof;
- (c) The details of the progress report of ICDS during the last five years including Maharashtra;
- (d) Whether an  increase  in  the  rate  of  stunting  and  wasting  is  being  observed among children in assessment of the data of different phases of National Family Health Survey;
- (e) If  so,  the  details  thereof,  State-wise  including  Maharashtra  along  with  the reasons therefor, and
- (f) The efforts being made by the Government to prevent stunting and wasting in children  and  result  achieved  in  this  regard  so  far,  State-wise  including Maharashtra?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (f) Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (1418  years  in  Aspirational  Districts  and  North-East  region)  were  subsumed  under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) during the 15th Finance  Commission.  Mission  Poshan  2.0  seeks  to  address  the  challenge  of malnutrition through improved nutrition content and delivery. This is a universal selfselecting (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 the State of Maharashtra. This is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, where the responsibility of implementation of scheme lies with the States.

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 and underweight prevalence beside 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.

Various rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted since 199293  have  shown  improvement  in  malnutrition  indicators  in  children  across  India. Details of these indicators for children  since NFHS-1 to NFHS-5 are given below:

| NFHS Survey         |   Underweight |   %Wasting% |   Stunting% |
|---------------------|---------------|-------------|-------------|
| NFHS-1 (1992-93)*   |          53.4 |        17.5 |        52   |
| NFHS-2 (1998-99)**  |          47   |        15.5 |        45.5 |
| NFHS-3 (2005-6)***  |          42.5 |        19.8 |        48   |
| NFHS-4 (2015-16)*** |          35.8 |        21   |        38.4 |
| NFHS-5 (2019-21)*** |          32.1 |        19.3 |        35.5 |

* Under 4 years
- ** Under 3 years
- *** Under 5 years

The above table gives a representative picture of malnutrition indicators among all children of 0-3 years, 0-4 years and 0-5 years age at that time. The table shows that level of malnutrition among children has been generally coming down during the last 30 years.

The projected population of all children up to 5 years in India for the year 2021 is 13.75 crore (source: Population Projections for India and States 2011-2036, National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare). However, only 7.65 crore children up to 5 years are enrolled in Anganwadis and registered on Poshan Tracker of the Ministry of Women & Child Development as per June 2024 data of Poshan Tracker. 7.37 crore of these children were measured on growth parameters. 36.5% of these children have been found to be stunted, 16.4% children have been found to be underweight and 6% children have been found to be wasted.

Further, the projected population of all children in India up to 6 years for the year 2021 is 16.1 crore. As per June 2024 data of Poshan Tracker, 8.91 crore children (06 years) are enrolled in Anganwadis out of whom 8.57 crore children were measured on growth parameters. 35.6% of these children (0-6 years) have been found to be stunted and 17.2% children (0-6 years) have been found to be underweight.

The State wise data of nutritional status of children is placed at Annexure.

****

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (f) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3193 FOR 09.08.2024 REGARDING 'INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SCHEME' ASKED BY SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE, SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT AND SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV.

State wise details of malnourished children in the country for june 2024 from poshan tracker are as follows:

| S. No   | State                              | Stunted (%) (0-6 years)   | Underweight (%) (0-6 years)   | Wasted (%) (0-5 years)   |
|---------|------------------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh                     | 20.96                     | 10.59                         | 5.61                     |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 28                        | 8.5                           | 4.03                     |
| 3       | Assam                              | 39.96                     | 17.17                         | 4.59                     |
| 4       | Bihar                              | 39.99                     | 22.87                         | 9.81                     |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh                       | 17.83                     | 13.34                         | 8.92                     |
| 6       | Goa                                | 5.91                      | 2.39                          | 0.85                     |
| 7       | Gujarat                            | 38.95                     | 23.02                         | 9.16                     |
| 8       | Haryana                            | 23.13                     | 8.31                          | 4.22                     |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh                   | 17.21                     | 6.5                           | 1.73                     |
| 10      | Jharkhand                          | 38.63                     | 18.35                         | 6.79                     |
| 11      | Karnataka                          | 35.86                     | 17.88                         | 3.9                      |
| 12      | Kerala                             | 30.28                     | 9.42                          | 2.59                     |
| 13      | Madhya Pradesh                     | 40.49                     | 27.59                         | 8.46                     |
| 14      | Maharashtra                        | 42.54                     | 17.8                          | 4.84                     |
| 15      | Manipur                            | 11.65                     | 5.15                          | 0.77                     |
| 16      | Meghalaya                          | 21.93                     | 6.37                          | 0.79                     |
| 17      | Mizoram                            | 22.82                     | 6.19                          | 2.51                     |
| 18      | Nagaland                           | 23.72                     | 6.38                          | 6.45                     |
| 19      | Odisha                             | 22.34                     | 12.35                         | 3.34                     |
| 20      | Punjab                             | 16.67                     | 5.65                          | 3.17                     |
| 21      | Rajasthan                          | 32.82                     | 17.07                         | 6.24                     |
| 22      | Sikkim                             | 12.04                     | 2.36                          | 1.96                     |
| 23      | Tamil Nadu                         | 15                        | 7.24                          | 3.84                     |
| 24      | Telangana                          | 31.49                     | 17.54                         | 6.68                     |
| 25      | Tripura                            | 35.91                     | 16.42                         | 6.65                     |
| 26      | Uttar Pradesh                      | 45.13                     | 19.46                         | 5.07                     |
| 27      | Uttarakhand                        | 22.37                     | 6.07                          | 2.11                     |
| 28      | West Bengal                        | 33.97                     | 12.58                         | 7.87                     |
| 29      | Andaman & Nicobar Islands          | 13.94                     | 6.65                          | 3.51                     |
| 30      | Dadra & Nagar Haveli - Daman & Diu | 38.33                     | 27.52                         | 8.61                     |
| 31      | Delhi                              | 39.39                     | 19.44                         | 3.22                     |
| 32      | J&K                                | 12.41                     | 3.2                           | 1.35                     |
| 33      | Ladakh                             | 12.62                     | 2.73                          | 0.66                     |
| 34      | Lakshadweep                        | 46.29                     | 23.3                          | 13.22                    |
| 35      | Puducherry                         | 32.27                     | 10.88                         | 7.24                     |
| 36      | UT-Chandigarh                      | 19.42                     | 12.11                         | 2.88                     |
| India   | India                              | 35.6%                     | 17.2%                         | 6%                       |