Lok Sabha Question No. 878 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-24
Subject: Rapid Survey of Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: M. B. RAJESH, SHASHI THAROOR, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 878**

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2015

**RAPID SURVEY OF CHILDREN**

878.	SHRI M. B. RAJESH:

DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN:

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

1. whether the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supported Rapid Survey of Children (RSOC) has conducted any field survey during the year 2013-14 and submitted its data to the Government;
2. if so, the details thereof including the key findings of the survey and the reaction of the Government thereto;
3. whether the Government has released the complete report of RSOC in the public domain if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
4. whether the Government has constituted a committee/panel to re-examine/look into the findings of the said report including the methodology used by them in compiling the data, if so, the details  thereof and the reasons therefor; and
5. whether the said committee has submitted its report to the Government, if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor along with the time by which the said committee is likely to submit its report?

**ANSWER**

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a):   	Yes, Madam. The Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC) was commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) in 29 States during 2013-14 with technical and financial assistance from UNICEF India. The field work of the survey was conducted during November 2013 to May 2014. The provisional National and State level fact sheets  in respect of key indicators on maternal/child health and nutrition, access and usage of Integrated Child Development  Services (ICDS) were made available by UNICEF to the Ministry of Women and Child Development during August 2014.

(b) 	& (c):  Key objective of the survey was to assess the situation of children and women in the country with special emphasis on access and utilization of services under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme and to provide baseline data for the restructured Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme. A positive trend has been observed in respect of improvement in key health and nutrition indicators (child nutrition and maternal health) at the national level, in comparison to the last held national survey *viz.* , National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-III during 2005-06. As per the findings of the survey, proportion of moderately underweight children below five years is 29.4% (NFHS-III: 42.5%) and severely underweight is 9.5% (NFHS-III: 15.8%). The provisional national fact sheet on the survey has been released by the Government on 2 nd July 2015 and is available on the website of Ministry of Women and Child Development.

(d) 	& (e):  A Technical Committee led by Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation with Members from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development and NITI Aayog has been entrusted for review of State level factsheets with respect to data and survey methodology. The Committee is expected to submit its report shortly.

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