Lok Sabha Question No. 3020 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-13
Subject: ICDS Network in Jalpaiguri
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. Jayanta Kumar Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3020

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2024

## ICDS NETWORK IN JALPAIGURI

## 3020.  DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

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

- (a) whether the Government is implementing any special progammes to address malnutrition  and  anemia  among  women and children in  Jalpaiguri  district  of West Bengal;
- (b) if so, the details of the beneficiaries under the POSHAN Abhiyaan Scheme; and
- (c) the details of the steps taken to strengthen the Integrated Child Development Services  (ICDS)  network  in  Jalpaiguri,  including  the  number  of  functional anganwadi centres and vacancies of anganwadi workers therein?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  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 of implementation lies with the States/UTs.

This scheme is universal, self -selecting and is being implemented in all Districts of all States/UTs including in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.

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.

Anemia  Mukt  Bharat  (AMB)  a  flagship  programme  of  Government  of  India  under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW), launched in 2018, aims to reduce the prevalence  of  anemia  through  6X6X6  strategy  implemented  among  the  six  target beneficiaries-children  6-59  months,  children  5-9  years,  adolescents  10-19  years, women of reproductive age group, pregnant women and lactating mothers; through six  interventions  implemented via  six  institutional mechanisms  for all  stakeholders. The six interventions for AMB strategy include:

1.  Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation to all six beneficiaries
2.  Deworming
3.  Intensified Behaviour Change Communication Campaign focusing on four key behaviors-  improving  compliance  to  IFA  supplementation  and  deworming, appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, increase in intake of ironrich  food  through  diet  diversity/quantity/frequency  and/or  fortified  foods  and ensuring delayed cord clamping in health facilities
4.  Testing  and  treatment  of  anemia,  using  digital  methods  and  point  of  care treatment,
5.  Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods in government funded public health programmes
6.  Intensifying awareness, screening, and treatment of non-nutritional causes of anemia

(b) Details of the beneficiaries under Mission Poshan 2.0 are provided at Annexure I .

(c) Under Mission Poshan 2.0, 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres @ 40,000 AWCs per year are to be upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis for improved nutrition delivery and for early  childhood  care  and  development  under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and Poshan 2.0. Saksham Anganwadis  are equipped with infrastructure better than the conventional Anganwadi Centres by providing LED screens, water purifier/installation of RO Machine, Poshan Vatika, ECCE and BALA Paintings.

This  Ministry  continuously  monitors  the  implementation  of  Mission  2.0  through sustained engagement with the States/UTs through Video Conferences, meetings and through Online Poshan Tracker System.

Government of India launched Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) initiative on 10th  May, 2023  for  upgrading  skills  of  all  anganwadi  workers  to  strengthen  their  capacity  to provide early childhood care and education and nutrition service to children below six years of age, including divyang children.

Ministry has issued guidelines to all States/UTs on 13.01.2021 to streamline several aspects  such  as  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 the delivery of Supplementary Nutrition.

The number of functional AWCs and vacancies of AWWs in Jalpaiguri district are provided at Annexure - II.

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ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO.  3020  FOR  13.12.2024  REGARDING  'ICDS  NETWORK  IN  JALPAIGURI' ASKED BY DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY

Details of the beneficiaries under Mission Poshan 2.0 in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal are as follows*:

| S. No.   | Category                     | Number of beneficiaries   |
|----------|------------------------------|---------------------------|
| 1        | Pregnant Women               | 8216                      |
| 2        | Lactating Mothers            | 5088                      |
| 3        | Children(0-6 Months)         | 5053                      |
| 4        | Children(6 Months - 3 Years) | 68020                     |
| 5        | Children(3 - 6 Years)        | 98472                     |
|          | Total                        | 1,84,849                  |

Annexure - II

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO.  3020  FOR  13.12.2024  REGARDING  'ICDS  NETWORK  IN  JALPAIGURI' ASKED BY DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY

The required details of Jalpaiguri district are as follows*:

| Number of functional AWCs in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal   |   3936 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
| Vacancies of AWWs in Jalpaiguri district                          |    581 |

* Data for the month of October 2024 from Poshan Tracker

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