Lok Sabha Question No. 1900 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-31
Subject: Per Capita Protein Consumption
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: VIRENDRA  KUMAR

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1900**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 31** **ST** **JULY, 2015**

**Per Capita Protein Consumption**

**1900. DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR:**

Will the Minister of **HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE** be pleased to state:

(a) whether any survey regarding per capita consumption of protein and energy in urban and rural areas of the country has been conducted by the Government;

(b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof indicating the per capita consumption of proteins/ calories by the pre-school children *vis-a-vis* adults in the country, State/UT-wise; and

(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to create awareness among the people about the importance of protein consumption?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND                   FAMILY WELFARE**

**(SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)**

(a) & (b):  As per 68 th round of Nutritional Intake in India, 2011-12 of the National Statistical Organisation, average dietary energy intake per person per day was 2233 KCal for rural India and 2206 KCal for urban India. All the major States had per capita rural/urban levels of calorie intake within 11% (plus or minus) of the all-India rural/urban average.

At the all-India level, protein intake per person per day was 60.7gm in the rural sector and 60.3gm in the urban.  The range of inter-State variation for major States was appreciably wider in the rural sector, where per capita intake per day varied from about 52gm (Chhattisgarh) to about 73gm (Haryana), than in urban, where it varied from 55gm (Assam) to about 69gm (Haryana). In some of the poorer States, protein intake was markedly lower in the rural sector than in urban; examples are Jharkhand (rural: 54.7gm, urban: 60.3gm) and Chhattisgarh (rural: 51.7gm, urban: 55.gm). On the other hand, in the States with the highest level of protein intake, viz., Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab, it was the rural population and not the urban that had higher protein intake (about 4-5gm higher).

Further, the Indian Council of Medical Research has also informed that National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) has been collecting data on protein and energy consumption in Coefficient of units (consumption units)/ day in rural areas, in 10 states in India as per the NNMB Rural Report 2012 (NNMB Technical Report No.26), the median

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consumption of protein and energy was 47.3g/CU/day and 1787 KCal/CU/day, respectively.  As per the NNMB Report, the median consumption of protein and energy among preschool children was 23.6g/day (as against requirement of 18.4g/day) and 883 KCal/day (as against requirement of 1205KCal/day).

(c):     The government has launched several national nutrition intervention programmes like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme. Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) in the Community Health Centres and district hospitals provide wholesome nutrition as well as health and nutrition education, especially on balanced diet. Further awareness generation on improved feeding habits especially for children and women is done through Village Health & Nutrition Day once in a month. During this day, counselling of mothers of children below 5, pregnant and lactating women and community at large on feeding practises is conducted and the importance of higher protein intake during periods of growth are emphasised.

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