Lok Sabha Question No. 2492 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Reduction in Budgetary Allocations
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri G Kumar Naik, Shri Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2492

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026

## REDUCTION IN BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS

## 2492.  SHRI VISHALDADA PRAKASHBAPU PATIL:

## SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:

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

- (a) whether the share of the Ministry in the Centre's total expenditure has declined from nearly 1 per cent in 2015-16 to about 0.5 per cent in 2025-26, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether budgetary allocations for key schemes  such  as the Integrated Child Development Services and the Mid-Day Meal Programme have also declined during this period;
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons for such decline, particularly in view of rising inflation, increased beneficiary coverage and the continuing challenges of child malnutrition and maternal health during the last ten years;
- (d) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment of the impact of reduced realterm  allocations  on  nutrition  outcomes,  service  delivery  and  coverage  under  the schemes;
- (e) the details of the steps taken/proposed to be taken to enhance budgetary allocations for these programmes in the ensuing years, including the timeline and extent thereof; and
- (f) whether the Ministry consider the current expenditure level consistent with its stated policy priorities?

## ANSWER

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

(a): The Ministry's total expenditure has increased in absolute terms from ₹17,260.28 crore in FY 201516 to ₹24,529.48 crore in FY 2024 -25. The final expenditure figures for FY 2025-26 will be available only upon closure of the current financial year on 31st March 2026.

(b): No, sir. The budgetary allocation for Saksham  Anganwadi  and Poshan 2.O [earlier  Integrated Child Development Services(ICDS)] has increased from ₹ 9804.23 Crore in FY 201516 to ₹ 21960.00 Crore in FY 2025 -26.  Similarly, the Budgetary allocation for PM Poshan (earlier known as MidDay Meal Programme) has also increased from ₹ 9236.40 Crore to ₹12,500 Crore.

(c): Question does not arise in view of the above.

(d) to (f):  An outcome-based evaluation study of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 was conducted by Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog (2025).  As  per  the  study,  evidence  from  institutional  assessments  and  household  surveys indicates  that  digitalization  through  Poshan  Tracker  Application  has  a  multi-dimensional impact  on  nutrition  monitoring,  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education  (ECCE),  beneficiary authentication, and service delivery efficiency. The Report also highlighted Poshan Tracker as a  significant  shift  from  manual,  paper-based  systems  to  a  technology-enabled  governance framework under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP).

Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0,  to ensure that adequate budget is made available  to  the  States/UTs,  the  Programme  Approval  Board  (PAB)  meets  under  the chairpersonship  of  Secretary,  Women  and  Child  Development,  at  the  beginning  of  each financial year in order to consider and approve the Annual Programme  and Budget  submitted by the State Governments and UT Administrations.  There exists a well-structured mechanism for  effective  implementation  of  the  schemes  and  the  monitoring  for  effective  delivery  of services to the beneficiaries.

Moreover,  under  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  scheme,   Poshan  Tracker  is  being leveraged  for  dynamic  identification  of  stunting,  wasting,  under-weight  prevalence  among children.  It  has  facilitated  near  real  time  data  collection  for  Anganwadi  Services  such  as, opening and closing of AWCs, daily attendance of children, growth monitoring of children, Early  Childhood  Care  &  Education  (ECCE)  activities,  Delivery  of  Hot  Cooked  Meal (HCM)/Take Home Ration (THR-not raw ration), Growth Measurement etc. The App also offers counselling videos on key behaviours and services which help disseminate messages on birth  preparedness,  delivery  of  child,  post-natal  care,  breastfeeding  and  complementary feeding. Regular field level trainings/workshops are conducted directly for AWWs regarding use of the Poshan Tracker Application. Poshan Tracker also features self-learning videos for AWWs,  enabling  continuous  capacity  building  and  on-the-job  learning  through  digital modules.

Also, for last mile tracking of Service Delivery, Facial Recognition System (FRS) has been developed in Poshan Tracker Application for distribution of Take-Home Ration to ensure that benefit is given only to the intended beneficiary registered in Poshan Trac ker.

Pradhan  Mantri  Poshan  Shakti  Nirman  (PM  POSHAN)  Scheme  (earlier  Mid  Day  Meal Programme)  under  Ministry  of  Education  is  one  of  the  foremost  rights  based  Centrally Sponsored Schemes implemented in partnership with the States and Union Territories (UTs) for providing one hot cooked and nutritious meal to all children studying in Bal Vatika (just before class-I) and classes I to VIII of Government and Government-aided schools.

Under PM POSHAN to ensure that adequate budget is made available to the States and UTs, the  Programme  Approval  Board  (PAB)  meets  under  the  chairpersonship  of  Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy(DoSE&L), at the beginning of each financial year in order to consider and sanction the Annual Work Plan and Budget  submitted by the State Governments and UT Administrations. The State Governments and UT Administrations present  comprehensive  Annual  Work  Plan  and  Budget  (AWP&B),  inter-alia,  with  detailed district-wise vital information on coverage of children, working days and schools; enrolment in  schools;  utilisation  of  foodgrains,  utilisation  of  cooking  cost,  transportation  assistance, Management,  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  (MME),  payment  of  honorarium  to  Cook-cumHelper, construction of kitchen-cum-stores, procurement of kitchen devices etc.

The budget allocations made under  the schemes have enabled smooth delivery of services to the beneficiaries and resulted in improvement in the stated aims and objectives of the scheme of improvement in malnourishment indicators.

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