Lok Sabha Question No. 4175 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-20
Subject: Scheme for Holistic Health and Nutrition
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Damodar Agrawal, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Shri Dilip Saikia, Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan, Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Shri Alok Sharma, Shri Arun Govil, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4175

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2024

## SCHEME FOR HOLISTIC HEALTH AND NUTRITION

4175.  SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL:

SHRI ARUN GOVIL:

SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:

SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

SHRI DAMODAR AGRAWAL:

SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

SHRI SURESH KUMAR KASHYAP:

SHRI ALOK SHARMA:

SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN:

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

- (a) whether any scheme has been launched by the Government to focus on the overall health and nutrition of the future generations;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  along  with  the  status  of  the  scheme  in  Himachal Pradesh;
- (c) the details of the success achieved under PM-POSHAN Scheme particularly in the  improvement  of  the  nutritional  status  of  children,  State-wise  including Himachal Pradesh; and
- (d) the number of beneficiaries served under the said scheme in Rajasthan, yearwise and district-wise including Bhilwara Parliamentary constituency?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) and (b) Under the 15th Finance Commission, various components like Anganwadi services,  Poshan  Abhiyaan  and  Scheme  for  Adolescent  girls  (of  14-18  years  in Aspirational  Districts  and  North-Eastern  region)  have  been  subsumed  under  the umbrella  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  (Mission  Poshan  2.0)  to address the challenge of malnutrition through improved nutrition content and delivery.

It is a Centrally Sponsored mission, where the responsibility for implementation lies with the States/UTs. Mission is a universal self-selecting umbrella scheme that is being implemented across the country including Himachal Pradesh.

Nutrition goes beyond mere eating of food; it requires proper digestion, absorption, and metabolism which are influenced by factors like sanitation, education and access to  safe  drinking  water.  As  malnutrition  requires  a  multi-sector  approach  involving dimensions of food, health, water, sanitation and education, it is crucial to effectively address the issue of malnutrition. The challenges of malnutrition is being addressed under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 by establishing cross cutting convergence amongst 18 Ministries/Departments.

Under this Mission, a new strategy has been made for reduction in malnutrition and for  improved  health,  wellness  and  immunity  through  activities  like  community engagement, outreach, behavioral change, and advocacy. It 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  prevalence  of  wasting,  stunting,  anaemia  and  being underweight.

Under this scheme, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years),  Pregnant  Women,  Lactating  Mothers  and  Adolescent  Girls  to  beat  the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition by adopting a life cycle approach. Supplementary nutrition is provided in accordance with the nutrition norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act. These norms have been revised and upgraded last year. 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 to control anaemia among women and children. Greater emphasis is being laid on the use of millets for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal at least once a week and Take Home ration at Anganwadi centers.

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

Under this Mission, one of the major activities undertaken is Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy leading to a Jan Andolan to educate 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  March-April  respectively. Community Based Events (CBEs) have served as a significant strategy in changing nutritional  practices  and  all  Anganwadi  workers  are  required  to  conduct  two Community Based Events every month.

Various rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted by Ministry of Health  &  Family  Welfare  since  1992-93  have  shown  improvement  in  malnutrition indicators in children across India. Details of these indicators for children since NFHS1 to NFHS-5 are given below:

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

* 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 the relevant time.

The projected population of all children up to 5 years in India for the year 2021 is 13.75  crores  approximately  (source:  Population  Projections  for  India  and  States 2011-2036,  National  Commission  on  Population,  Ministry  of  Health  &  Family Welfare).  However,  only  7.54  crores  children  up  to  5  years  are  enrolled  in Anganwadis and registered on Poshan Tracker of the Ministry of Women & Child Development  as  per  the  October  2024  data.  7.31  crores  of  these  children  were measured on growth parameters of height and weight. 38.9% of these children have been found to be stunted, 17% children have been found to be underweight and 5.2% wasted.

Further, the projected population of all children in India up to 6 years for the year 2021 is approximately 16.1 crores. As per the October 2024 data of Poshan Tracker, 8.82 crores children (0-6 years) are enrolled in Anganwadis out of whom 8.55 crores were measured on growth parameters of height and weight. 37% of these children (0-6 years) have been found to be stunted and 17% children (0-6 years) have been found to be underweight.

The  analysis  of  the  above  NFHS  data  and  the  Poshan  Tracker  data  shows improvement in malnutrition indicators in children across India.

As per NFHS-5, the malnutrition indicators of the children (0-5 years) in Himachal Pradesh: Stunting - 30.8%, Wasting - 17.4% and Underweight - 25.5%. Whereas as  per  Poshan  Tracker  data  for  the  month  of  October  2024,  Stunting  is  18.4%, Wasting - 1.7% and Underweight - 6.3%. The analysis of the above NFHS data and the Poshan Tracker data shows improvement in malnutrition indicators in children in Himachal Pradesh.

(c) and (d ) Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme is one of the foremost rights based Centrally Sponsored Schemes implemented in partnership with  States  and  UTs  providing  one  hot  cooked  and  nutritious  meal  to  the  eligible children. This Scheme is implemented across the country including Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Scheme covers all children of Bal vatika (just before class I) and Classes I-VIII studying in Government  and  Government-Aided  Schools. The objectives of the scheme are to address two of the pressing problems for majority of children in India, viz. malnutrition and education by:

- i. Improving the nutritional status of children studying in Bal Vatika (just before class  I)  and  classes  I-VIII  in  Government  and  Government-Aided  Schools without any discrimination.
- ii. Encouraging  poor  children,  belonging  to  disadvantaged  sections,  to  attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.
- iii. Providing  nutritional  support  to  children  of  elementary  stage  in  drought  / disaster affected areas during summer vacation and disaster times.

Nutrition and food norms under the scheme are as under:

| S. N.                               | Items                               | Primary & Bal vatika                | Upper Primary                       |
|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| A. Nutrition norm per child per day | A. Nutrition norm per child per day | A. Nutrition norm per child per day | A. Nutrition norm per child per day |
| 1.                                  | Calorie                             | 450                                 | 700                                 |
| 2.                                  | Protein                             | 12 gms                              | 20 gms                              |
| B. Food norms per child per day     | B. Food norms per child per day     | B. Food norms per child per day     | B. Food norms per child per day     |
| 1.                                  | Food grains                         | 100 gms                             | 150 gms                             |
| 2.                                  | Pulses                              | 20 gms                              | 30 gms                              |
| 3.                                  | Vegetables                          | 50 gms                              | 75 gms                              |
| 4.                                  | Oil & fat                           | 5 gms                               | 7.5 gms                             |
| 5.                                  | Salt & condiments                   | As per need                         | As per need                         |

Meal is prepared with Fortified rice, (Iron, folic acid and Vitamin) double fortified salt (Iron  &  Iodine)  and  fortified  oil  (Vitamin  A  &D).  Vegetables  from  school  nutrition gardens  are  used.  The  meal  is  tested  from  accredited  laboratories  for  quality purposes. Many States and UTs are also providing additional food items viz., eggs, fruits, milk and chikki etc. The district  wise  number  of  beneficiaries  under  PM  POSHAN  in  Rajasthan  are  at

Annexure.

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Annexure

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO. 4175  FOR  20.12.2024  REGARDING  'SCHEME  FOR  HOLISTIC  HEALTH  AND NUTRITION' ASKED BY SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL, SHRI ARUN GOVIL, SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT, SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, SHRI  DAMODAR  AGRAWAL,  SHRI  DILIP  SAIKIA,  SHRI  SURESH  KUMAR KASHYAP, SHRI ALOK SHARMA, AND SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN

The district  wise  number  of  beneficiaries  under  PM  POSHAN  in  Rajasthan  during 2024-25 are as follows:

|   S. No. | Districts         |   Beneficiary |
|----------|-------------------|---------------|
|        1 | Neem Ka Thana     |         34957 |
|        2 | Bikaner           |        151381 |
|        3 | Ajmer             |         83666 |
|        4 | Anupgarh          |         44065 |
|        5 | Baran             |         90731 |
|        6 | Bhilawara         |        145726 |
|        7 | Bundi             |         94579 |
|        8 | Beawar            |        106211 |
|        9 | Chittorgarh       |        116563 |
|       10 | Churu             |        128585 |
|       11 | Dausa             |         92569 |
|       12 | Dungarpur         |        159616 |
|       13 | Deedwana-Kuchaman |         94690 |
|       14 | Deeg              |         77830 |
|       15 | Dudu              |         18293 |
|       16 | Kekri             |         52682 |
|       17 | Ganganagar        |         68127 |
|       18 | Khairthal-Tijara  |         72251 |
|       19 | Gangapur City     |         54336 |
|       20 | Kotputli-Behror   |         49614 |
|       21 | Hanumangarh       |         92754 |
|       22 | Sikar             |         82775 |
|       23 | Jaipur            |         62922 |
|       24 | Shahpura          |         71021 |
|       25 | Jaipur (Rural)    |        138607 |
|       26 | Pali              |        109599 |

| 27   | Jaisalmer       |   83348 |
|------|-----------------|---------|
| 28   | Sanchore        |   88099 |
| 29   | Pratapgarh      |   97755 |
| 30   | Salumber        |   71566 |
| 31   | Jalore          |   80627 |
| 32   | Tonk            |   79992 |
| 33   | Jhalawar        |  112685 |
| 34   | Udaipur         |  243732 |
| 35   | Jhunjhunu       |   70746 |
| 36   | Jodhpur         |   26305 |
| 37   | Karauli         |   76033 |
| 38   | Phalodi         |   81569 |
| 39   | Kota            |   83162 |
| 40   | Nagaur          |  103137 |
| 41   | Banswara        |  191168 |
| 42   | Barmer          |  200095 |
| 43   | Sirohi          |   85305 |
| 44   | Bharatpur       |   74961 |
| 45   | Jodhpur (Rural) |  115901 |
| 46   | Sawai Madhopur  |   47516 |
| 47   | Rajsamand       |   94169 |
| 48   | Alwar           |  105271 |
| 49   | Balotra         |  105117 |
| 50   | Dholpur         |   91904 |
|      | Total           | 4704313 |

*****