Lok Sabha Question No. 3493 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: Malnutrition among Children and Pregnant Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Nalin Soren, Smt. Manju Sharma, Shri Manish Jaiswal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3493

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2025

## MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN

3493.  SHRI MANISH JAISWAL: SMT. MANJU SHARMA: 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 malnutrition among children and pregnant women particularly in Jharkhand;
- (b) the details of the current schemes/programmes being implemented to tackle the problem of malnutrition in women and children across the country;
- (c) the details of the budget allocation for the above programmes during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the details of malnutrition rate in Rajasthan during the said period;
- (e) the  other  concrete  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to tackle  the problem of malnutrition across the country; and
- (f) whether the Government has made any one accountable to ensure the proper implementation of the said schemes, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (f) 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. It is a Centrally Sponsored mission, which is being  implemented  in  all  States/UTs  including  in  the  State  of  Jharkhand.  The responsibility for implementation of various activities lies with the States and UTs. It is a universal self-selecting scheme where there are no entry barriers for any beneficiary to register and receive services.

The objectives of Mission are as follows:

- To contribute to development of human capital in the country;
- Address challenge of malnutrition;
- Promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for sustainable health and wellbeing

Under  Mission  Poshan  2.0,  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, and being underweight.

Under this mission, 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 in January  2023.  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 for 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 at least once a week for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal 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 to educate people on nutritional aspects, as adoption of good nutrition habit requires sustained efforts for behavioural change. State and UTs are  conducting  and  reporting  regular  sensitisation  activities  under  Jan  Andolans 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.

The State wise detail of funds released to States/UTs in the last 3 years is at AnnexureI.

The detail of malnutrition indicators in Rajasthan is at Annexure-II.

Annexure-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO. 3493 FOR 21.03.2025 REGARDING 'MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN AND PREGNANT  WOMEN'  ASKED  BY  SHRI  MANISH  JAISWAL,  SMT.  MANJU SHARMA AND SHRI NALIN SOREN

The State/UT wise details of funds released to States under Mission Poshan 2.0 during the last three years and the current year are as follows:

Amount in ₹ crore

| S.   | States/ UTs                          | 2021-22        | 2022-23        | 2023-24 Funds   | 2024-25*       |
|------|--------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|-----------------|----------------|
| No.  |                                      | Funds released | Funds released | released        | Funds released |
| 1    | Andaman and Nicobar Islands          | 19.71          | 3.85           | 12.15           | 7.56           |
| 2    | Andhra Pradesh                       | 744.60         | 827.79         | 705.68          | 521.79         |
| 3    | Arunachal Pradesh                    | 170.83         | 137.78         | 162.06          | 72.28          |
| 4    | Assam                                | 1319.90        | 1651.63        | 2233.31         | 1792.07        |
| 5    | Bihar                                | 1574.43        | 1740.09        | 1859.29         | 2001.73        |
| 6    | Chandigarh                           | 15.32          | 33.10          | 19.79           | 14.17          |
| 7    | Chattisgarh                          | 606.73         | 668.96         | 579.46          | 549.31         |
| 8    | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 9.33           | 5.80           | 11.97           | 9.13           |
| 9    | Delhi                                | 133.11         | 182.77         | 161.81          | 151.72         |
| 10   | Goa                                  | 10.84          | 14.71          | 13.95           | 11.95          |
| 11   | Gujarat                              | 839.86         | 912.64         | 1126.80         | 308.66         |
| 12   | Haryana                              | 173.03         | 195.25         | 225.78          | 177.52         |
| 13   | Himachal Pradesh                     | 247.99         | 270.24         | 301.09          | 245.60         |
| 14   | Jammu & Kashmir                      | 405.74         | 479.01         | 530.88          | 488.97         |
| 15   | Jharkhand                            | 352.98         | 430.91         | 664.30          | 451.12         |
| 16   | Karnataka                            | 1003.70        | 765.87         | 912.96          | 823.42         |
| 17   | Kerala                               | 388.23         | 444.98         | 306.64          | 267.67         |
| 18   | Ladakh                               | 14.70          | 18.79          | 19.62           | 14.64          |
| 19   | Lakshadweep                          | 2.11           | 0.44           | 2.88            | 1.34           |
| 20   | Madhya Pradesh                       | 1085.47        | 1011.57        | 1123.11         | 1144.54        |
| 21   | Maharashtra                          | 1713.39        | 1646.17        | 1699.52         | 1334.02        |
| 22   | Manipur                              | 228.92         | 135.95         | 201.28          | 203.62         |
| 23   | Meghalaya                            | 173.33         | 192.39         | 269.69          | 84.79          |
| 24   | Mizoram                              | 59.32          | 42.81          | 100.27          | 31.27          |
| 25   | Nagaland                             | 159.80         | 199.30         | 262.91          | 138.91         |
| 26   | Odisha                               | 1065.98        | 923.92         | 968.80          | 781.29         |
| 27   | Puducherry                           | 2.78           | 0.12           | 4.48            | 3.68           |
| 28   | Punjab                               | 383.52         | 75.31          | 307.87          | 253.84         |

| 29    | Rajasthan     |   682.65 |   974.02 |   1091.96 |   736.09 |
|-------|---------------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|
| 30    | Sikkim        |    25.73 |    20.33 |     33.49 |     1.66 |
| 31    | TamilNadu     |   655.38 |   766.81 |    880.79 |   526.37 |
| 32    | Telangana     |   482.33 |   550.69 |    507.87 |   287.94 |
| 33    | Tripura       |   186.72 |   150.52 |    244.22 |    81.81 |
| 34    | Uttar Pradesh |  2407.55 |  2721.87 |   2668.69 |  2060.25 |
| 35    | Uttarakhand   |   353.65 |   425.84 |    288.24 |   159.1  |
| 36    | West Bengal   |   668.35 |  1227.59 |   1237.56 |  1266.17 |
| Total | Total         | 18368    | 19849.8  |  21741.2  | 17006.1  |

* Fund released up to 28 February, 2025.

Annexure-II ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO. 3493 FOR 21.03.2025 REGARDING 'MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN AND PREGNANT  WOMEN'  ASKED  BY  SHRI  MANISH  JAISWAL,  SMT.  MANJU SHARMA AND SHRI NALIN SOREN The detail of malnutrition indicators in Rajasthan for last three years is as follows:

| Feb-23    | Feb-23   | Feb-23        | Feb-24    | Feb-24   | Feb-24        | Feb-25     | Feb-25    | Feb-25        |
|-----------|----------|---------------|-----------|----------|---------------|------------|-----------|---------------|
| Stunt ed% | Wast ed% | Underw eight% | Stunt ed% | Wast ed% | Underw eight% | Stunti ng% | Wasti ng% | Underw eight% |
| 34.10     | 11.43    | 20.32         | 37.43     | 7.71     | 17.63         | 38.57      | 6.31      | 18.67         |

*****