Lok Sabha Question No. 481 (STARRED), answered on 2025-04-04
Subject: Serving of Eggs under Poshan Abhiyan and ICDS
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ms Sayani Ghosh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *481

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2025

## SERVING OF EGGS UNDER POSHAN ABHIYAN AND ICDS

- *481.  MS SAYANI GHOSH:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  formulated/issued  any  guidelines  in  terms  of calorific composition and per-beneficiary expenditure for the States implementing  Poshan  Abhiyan  and  Integrated  Child  Development  Service (ICDS) and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Union Government has suggested the serving of eggs to the States as part of Poshan Abhiyan, ICDS, Mid-Day Meals etc., if so, the details of the guidelines thereof;
- (c) whether some States want to serve eggs as part of the programmes but are unable to do so because of insufficient funds as lentils, chana or soybean etc. are cheaper than eggs and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  States  which  are  serving  eggs  under  the  said  schemes  are providing these to every malnourished women/children or to every beneficiary; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 481 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2025 REGARDING 'SERVING OF EGGS UNDER POSHAN ABHIYAN AND ICDS' ASKED BY MS SAYANI GHOSH

(a) to (e): Under the 15 th  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 scheme, where the responsibility for implementation of various activities lies with the States and UTs.

Under Mission Poshan 2.0, 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. It is primarily designed to bridge the gap between the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Average Daily Intake (ADI).  Supplementary nutrition is provided in accordance with the nutritional norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act (NFSA). 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  7  essential micronutrients.  States/UTs  are  encouraged  to  decide  menu  suitable  to  the  local conditions and availability. The Schedule-II of NFSA, 2013 revised on 25 th  January, 2023 is placed at Annexure .

The cost norms for supplementary nutrition under Mission Poshan 2.0 for different categories of beneficiaries is as under:

|   S. No. | Categories                                   |   Rates (per day per beneficiary) (in Rupees) |
|----------|----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Children (6-72 months)                       |                                           8   |
|        2 | Severely malnourished children (6-72 months) |                                          12   |
|        3 | Pregnant women and Nursing mothers           |                                           9.5 |
|        4 | Adolescent Girls (14-18 years)               |                                           9.5 |

Supplementary Nutrition under the Scheme is served for a minimum of 300 days in a calendar year, i.e., on an average 25 days in a month in the form of Hot Cooked Meals (HCM) and Take Home Ration (THR -Not Raw Ration).

Local dietary inputs and fresh produce (green vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants and herbs), fortified rice and millets, nuts and oilseeds like groundnut and sesame seeds are  actively  incorporated  in  meals  which  is  served  to  different  categories  of beneficiaries  under  the  Scheme  to  promote  health,  wellness  and  immunity  and  to manage anemia.  The  food  items  for  Take  Home  Ration  (not  raw  ration)  and  Hot Cooked Meals (HCM) are specific to the States and include locally grown/available wholesome fruits and vegetables.

States/UTs are responsible to clearly delineate the THR products delivered to target beneficiaries  based  on  their  nutritional  requirements  such  as  children  who  are Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM), adolescent girls in the age group of 14-18 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, besides children aged 6 months to 3 years.

Fortified rice is being supplied to Anganwadi centres (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 in Take Home ration at Anganwadi centres.

During the budget speech 2025-26, it has been announced to appropriately enhance the cost norms for nutritional support.

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Annexure

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 481 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2025 REGARDING 'SERVING OF EGGS UNDER POSHAN ABHIYAN AND ICDS' BY MS.SAYANI GHOSH

| Age/ Physiol ogical Group            | Type ofM eal                       | Ene rgy (kca l)   | Prot ein ( g)   | Protein Quality ( Protein Digestibi lity Corr ected A mino Ac id Score)   | Total Fat (g)   | Carbohy drate (g)   | Cereal Pulse R atio   | Calci um ( mg)   | Zinc ( mg)   | Iron (mg)   | Dieta ry Fo late (µg)   | Vitami n A (µg)   | Vitami n B6 (mg)   | Vitami n B12 (µg)   |
|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------|-------------------|-----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------------|------------------|--------------|-------------|-------------------------|-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
| (1)                                  | (2)                                | (3)               | (4)             | (5)                                                                       | (6)             | (7)                 | (8)                   | (9)              | (10)         | (11)        | (12)                    | (13)              | (14)               | (15)                |
| above six months upto t welve months | Take Home Rati on                  | 200               | 8-10            | 0.8-1.0                                                                   | 10-12           | 20                  | 2:1                   | 100              | 0.7          | 0.7         | 24                      | 57                | 0.17               | 0.33                |
| above one ye ar upto three y ears    | Take Home Rati on                  | 400               | 15-20           | 0.8-1.0                                                                   | 15-20           | 40                  | 2:1                   | 135              | 1.0          | 2.0         | 35                      | 60                | 0.27               | 0.33                |
| above three ye ars upto six yea rs   | Morning Sn ack and Hot Cooked Meal | 400               | 15-20           | 0.8-1.0                                                                   | 15-20           | 55                  | 2:1                   | 150              | 1.5          | 3.0         | 40                      | 80                | 0.33               | 0.67                |

| Undernourishe d children abov e six months u pto twelve months                                                    | Take Hom e Ration                                                                                                 |   400 | 15-20   | 0.8-1.0   | 15-18   |   35 | 2:1   |   200 |   1.5 |   1.5 |   50 |   115 |   0.35 |   0.66 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|---------|-----------|---------|------|-------|-------|-------|-------|------|-------|--------|--------|
| Undernourishe d children abov e one year upt o three years                                                        | Take Hom e Ration                                                                                                 |   700 | 25-30   | 0.8-1.0   | 25-30   |   70 | 2:1   |   270 |     2 |   4   |   70 |   120 |   0.55 |   0.66 |
| Undernourished children above t hree years upto six years Morning Sn ack, Hot Co oked Meal a nd Take Ho me Ration | Undernourished children above t hree years upto six years Morning Sn ack, Hot Co oked Meal a nd Take Ho me Ration |   800 | 25-30   | 0.8-1.0   | 25-30   |   70 | 2:1   |   300 |     3 |   6   |   80 |   160 |   0.66 |   1.24 |
| PregnantW omen and L actating Mot hers                                                                            | Hot Cooked Meal and Take Home Ration                                                                              |   600 | 22-25   | 0.8-1.0   | 22-25   |   80 | 3:1   |   335 |     4 |   7   |  160 |   240 |   0.63 |   0.73 |
| Lower prima ry classes                                                                                            | Hot Cooked Meal                                                                                                   |   450 | 15-20   | 0.8-1.0   | 18-21   |   70 | 3:1   |   170 |     2 |   3.5 |   50 |   100 |   0.43 |   0.66 |
| Upper prima ry classes                                                                                            | Hot Cooked Meal                                                                                                   |   700 | 22-25   | 0.8-1.0   | 22-25   |  100 | 3:1   |   270 |     4 |   5.5 |   75 |   145 |   0.66 |   0.66 |

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