Lok Sabha Question No. 2730 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-04
Subject: Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 Scheme
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Uday Pratap Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2730

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2023

## SAKASHAM ANGANWADI AND POSHAN 2.0 SCHEME

## 2730    SHRI UDAY PRATAP SINGH:

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

- (a) whether the Government has achieved success in the objectives of Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 campaign in Madhya Pradesh;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study regarding the outcomes of these schemes and if so, the details and the outcome thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  or  is  contemplating  on  any  plan  to  setup  new modern Saksham Anganwadis in States under POSHAN 2.0 campaign and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
- (e) the details of funds released and utilised to achieve the objectives of Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 campaign in Madhya Pradesh during the last five years, year-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) and (b):  Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (henceforth 'Mission Poshan 2.0') is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme that was launched in 2021 to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.  The  mission  aims  at  developing  India's  human  capital  and  integrates  three existing schemes (Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent Girls), adopting a lifecycle approach to malnutrition reduction. It represents a strategic shift  from  calorific  sufficiency  alone  to  practices  that  nurture  health,  wellness  and immunity.  It  focuses  on  infant  and  young  child  feeding  practices  (including  exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding), maternal and adolescent nutrition, treatment of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)/Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), and promotion of AYUSH practices.

The details of implementation of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 in the state of Madhya Pradesh is as follows:

- i. 97,135 Anganwadi Centres are registered on Poshan Tracker application
- ii. 76,93,989 beneficiaries are availing services under the mission
- iii. 52 districts, 453 projects and 3486 sectors are covered under the mission
- iv. 90.84% beneficiaries are Aadhar seeded
- v. 1,51,828 Adolescent Girls (14-18 years) from aspirational districts of the State are registered on the Poshan Tracker application out of which 85.55% are Aadhar seeded.

For estimating the number of underweight, malnourished and severely malnourished children under 5 years of age in the country a nationwide periodic survey is   conducted by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare which is known as the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). As per the recent report of NFHS-5 (2019-21), the nutrition indicators for children under 5 years in Madhya Pradesh have improved as compared with NFHS-4 (2015-16). Wasting has improved from 25.8% (NFHS-4) to 19.0 % (NFHS5), under nutrition has improved from 42.8% (NFHS-4) to 33.01% (NFHS-5) and stunting has improved from 42.0%(NFHS-4) to 35.7% (NFHS-5).

As per data recorded in Poshan Tracker ICT application for Mission Poshan 2.0, close to 52.74 lakh children under the age of 5 years were measured in Madhya Pradesh in June 2023 of which 10% were wasted and 32% underweight, which is lower than NFHS indicators.

(c)          Development  Monitoring  &  Evaluation  Office  (DMEO)  under  NITI  Aayog  has conducted  sectoral  evaluation  of  schemes  including  POSHAN  Abhiyaan,  wherein performance  of the scheme  was  found  satisfactory in criterions of Relevance, Sustainability and Equity. Further, NITI Aayog assessed the implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan since its inception and came out with the following key findings:

- (i) Poshan Abhiyaan has helped to bring a strong focus on improving nutrition outcomes during the first 1,000 days
- (ii) The Abhiyaan has enabled a nation-wide Jan-Andolan catalysing nutrition related  behaviour  change  at  scale  for  positive  impact  on  feeding  and healthcare practices.
- (iii) It has demonstrated that the processes for inter-sectoral convergence are effectively  operationalized  through  in  place  institutional  mechanisms  at multiple levels.
- (iv) The  Abhiyaan  showed  that  technology  can  be  leveraged  for  real-time monitoring of large-scale health and nutrition programmes.
- (v) It  has  supported  the  resilience  of  health  and  nutrition  systems  during covid-19 pandemic.

(d)            Under the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)  are  being  upgraded  and  strengthened  as  Saksham  Anganwadis  with  LeD screen,  smart-learning  tools, Poshan  Vatikas,  Rainwater  Harvesting  Structure  etc.  @ 40,000 AWCs per annum upto 2025-26.  In 2022-23, a total of 41,192 AWCs have been identified for upgradation. 35054 Anganwadis identified for upgradation are in Aspirational districts across the country.  The State-wise approved AWCs for upgradation to new modern Saksham Anganwadis under Poshan 2.0 is at Annexure I.

(e)           The details of funds released and utilised in Madhya Pradesh during the last 5 years is as follows:

(₹ in lakhs)

| Anganwadi Services, SAG and Poshan Abhiyan   | Anganwadi Services, SAG and Poshan Abhiyan   |
|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| Financial Year                               | Central Funds Released                       |
| 2018-19                                      | 148499.07                                    |
| 2019-20                                      | 118176.45                                    |
| 2020-21                                      | 123805.51                                    |
| 2021-22*                                     | 108546.9                                     |
| 2022-23                                      | 98501.92                                     |
| Total                                        | 597529.85                                    |

Further, as per information from the State, in the last 5 years from FY 2018-19 to FY 2022-23, a total amount of Rs 466840.27 has been utilised for Anganwadi Services, SAG and Poshan Abhiyan

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Annexure I