Lok Sabha Question No. 6094 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Nutrient Enriched Items in PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Harish Chandra Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6094

TO BE ANSWERED ON IsT APRIL, 2026

## NUTRIENT  ENRICHED ITEMS IN PDS

## t6094. SHRI HARISH CHANDRA MEENA:

Will  the Minister ofCONSUIVIER  AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a): whether the Government  is aware of the fact that in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur district 92,664 children  out of  1,59,608 children under the age of five (approximately 74%) and out of 4,54,876 women of reproductive  age 2,40,812 (approximately 53%) non-pregnant women have been found arlern IC;
- (b): if  so, whether the Government is considering  the targeted inclusion of Iron-Fortified  Rice or Wheat or pulses enriched with bio-available iron in the Public Distribution System (PDS) for these districts on the lines of other high-burden districts like Churu and if so, the details thereof;
- (c): whether any coordination  is being established with  the Ministry  of  Health and Family Welfare to ensure that such nutrient specific provision through PDS are aligned with both curative and preventive nutritional  goals; and
- (d): if  so, the details thereon

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

- (a): The prevalence of anemia in Children under age of five and women of reproductive age in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan as per the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-2 1 ) is as listed below: -

| State/Districts   | Children age 6' 59 months who are anemic (<1 1.Og/dl) (%)   | All women age 15-49 years who are anemic ('/.)   |
|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| Rajasthan         | 71.5                                                        | 54.4                                             |
| Tonk              |                                                             | 52.8                                             |
| Sawai IVladhopur  |                                                             |                                                  |

(b): To address anaemia and micronutrients deficiency, the Government of India is supplying fortified rice through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) across all  States and Union  Territories (UTs)  except Wheat  consuming  States of  Punjab,  Haryana, and Rajasthan and 100% Direct  Benefit  Transfer UTs ofChandigarh and Puducherry.

(c)  &  (d):  The  issue of  anaemia and  micronutrient  deficiencies  is addressed by the Government through various interventions of the Ministry  of  Health and Family  Welfare and the Ministry  of Women and Child  Development, including Anaemia Mukt Bharat and POSHAN  Abhiyaan. The Department of  Food and Public Distribution has been complementing these efforts through provision of fortified  rice under the Public Distribution  System and Other Welfare Schemes.

The Ministry  of Health and Family welfare is also implementing Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle approach under National  Health Mission  (NHM),  which  includes both curative and preventive nutritional goals

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