Lok Sabha Question No. 774 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-29
Subject: POSHAN  Abhiyan in  Assam
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Joyanta Basumatary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 774

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2024

## POSHAN ABHIYAN IN ASSAM

774. SHRI JOYANTA BASUMATARY:

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

- (a) the details of targets set and achievements made under 'POSHAN Abhiyan 2.0' during the current year in Assam;
- (b) the number of the women and /or children whose data has been updated on the POSHAN Tracker App in Bodoland Territorial Region;
- (c) whether  it  is  mandatory  for  women  beneficiaries  to  link  Aadhaar  with  the POSHAN App, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the benefits of the scheme are denied to those who do not possess or did not link the Aadhaar card, if so, the reasons thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Aadhar  seeding  of  the  children  has  been  made  mandatory  on POSHAN Tracker App for availing of the benefits from the Anganwadi Centres; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof including legal basis for the same?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Under 15th Finance Commission, Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (14-18 years in Aspirational Districts and NorthEast  region)  have  been  subsumed  under  the  umbrella  Mission  Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0). The objectives of Mission Poshan 2.0 are as follows:
- To contribute to human capital development of the country;
- Address challenges of malnutrition;
- Promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for sustainable health and wellbeing;
- Address nutrition related deficiencies through key strategies.

It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, where the responsibility of implementation lies with the States. It is being implemented in all districts of all States/UTs including the State of Assam.

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         |   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 over time.

The projected population of all children up to 5 years in India for the year 2021 is 13.75 crores  (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. 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 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  children  were measured on growth parameters. 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 malnutrition indicators for children under 5 years as per NFHS-5 (2019-21) report in the State of Assam are: Stunting as 35.3%, Wasting as 21.7% and Underweight as 32.8%.

Whereas, the malnutrition indicators for  children  under  5  years  as  per  the  data  of Poshan Tracker for the month of October 2024 in the State of Assam are: Stunting as 42.44%, Wasting as 3.77% and Underweight as 16.35%.

(b) The number of the women and children available on the Poshan tracker App in the districts under Bodoland Territorial Region is provided at Annexure-I.

(c)  to  (f)  The  use  of  Aadhaar  as  an  identity  document  for  delivery  of  services  has simplified the Government delivery processes. It brings in transparency and efficiency and  enables  beneficiaries  to  get  their  entitlements  directly  in  a  convenient  and seamless manner by obviating the need to produce multiple documents to prove one's identity.

Mission Poshan 2.0 is a universal self-selecting (no entry barriers) scheme available to all the eligible beneficiaries who enroll at the Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) across the country. The benefits of the Mission are not denied to those who do not possess or do not link the Aadhaar card. As per the Gazette notification of Government of India (CG-DL-E1104420323-245085  dated  29  March  2023)  of  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development, any individual desirous of availing the benefit under the scheme, who does  not  possess  the  Aadhaar  number,  needs  to  enroll  for  Aadhaar  or  make  an application  of  Aadhaar  enrollment.  Further,  as  per  provision  1.(3)  of  the  said notification, till the time Aadhaar is assigned to the individual, the benefit under the scheme is given to such individual,  subject  to  production  of  relevant  document  as mentioned in the notification concerned. Paras 4 and 5 of this notification make the position very clear.

Further, in case of child, the benefits can also be accessed using the mother's Aadhaar card. If mother does not have Aadhaar card, then Aadhaar card of child's father or any legal guardian may also be used.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO. 774 FOR 29.11.2024 REGARDING 'POSHAN ABHIYAN IN ASSAM' ASKED BY SHRI JOYANTA BASUMATARY

The number of the women and children available on the Poshan tracker App in the districts under Bodoland Territorial Region is as follows*:

| Beneficiaries                 |   Baksa |   Chirang |   Kokrajhar |   Udalguri |
|-------------------------------|---------|-----------|-------------|------------|
| Pregnant Women                |    2235 |      2014 |        3909 |       3076 |
| Lactating Mothers             |    1259 |      1050 |        2124 |       1823 |
| Children (0-6 Months)         |    1414 |      1308 |        2556 |       2006 |
| Children (6 Months - 3 Years) |   16809 |     15644 |       30334 |      23742 |
| Children (3 - 6 Years)        |   25130 |     22572 |       45160 |      35413 |
| Adolescent girls              |   10492 |      6303 |        8782 |      15219 |

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