Lok Sabha Question No. 2427 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Participation of Women SHGs in Nutrition Schemes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2427 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026

## PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN SHGs IN NUTRITION SCHEMES

## 2427.  SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

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

- (a) the number of women  Self-Help Groups (SHGs) currently linked with the Government's nutrition and related schemes across the country, district-wise, particularly in Punjab;
- (b) the  number  of  women  members  enrolled  in  these  SHGs  engaged  with  nutrition programme activities,  including  food  preparation,  distribution,  community  outreach and monitoring;
- (c) the number of women whose livelihoods and employment have been directly supported through these engagements under the nutrition schemes; and
- (d) the details of the specific mechanisms in place to ensure that such participation leads to sustainable income generation, skill development and social empowerment for women in rural and urban areas?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d):  The  Ministry  of  Women and Child Development (MWCD) implements Mission Poshan 2.0 through State Government/UT Administration. The initiative has evolved into a vibrant Jan Andolan to address malnutrition through sustained convergence with more than 18 ministries, including the Ministry of Rural Development. In addition to this scheme, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are also involved by other Ministries and Departments in their own schemes.

Under this framework, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as pivotal grassroots partners in annual Jan Andolan campaigns such as Rashtriya Poshan Maah (September) and Poshan Pakhwada (fortnight in March/ April), mobilizing communities, catalyzing behavior change, and ensuring inclusive participation of people at scale. SHG's leverage their deep community reach to organize nutrition sensitization events, Poshan Panchayats, home visits, village rallies and  peer-to-peer  dialogue  on  key  nutrition  practices  from  infant  feeding  and  anaemia prevention  to  Nutri  gardens  and  dietary  diversity,  thereby  transforming  awareness  into sustained action at the household level.

As  per  Supplementary  Nutrition  Rules,  2022,  it  provides  flexibility  to  States  and  Union Territories in engaging suitable entities for production and supply of supplementary nutrition. These  entities  may  include  Self-Help  Groups  (SHGs),  community-based  organizations, cooperative societies, or private manufacturers, subject to compliance with FSSAI registration, licensing, and applicable quality and safety standards. Thus, as per State's decision, SHGs are also engaged in Supplementary Nutrition Programme, including food preparation, distribution and community outreach

SHGs  involvement  complements  convergent  actions  by  frontline  workers  like  Anganwadi Workers, along with Panchayati Raj representatives, and other multiple sectors, translating national campaigns/ Jan Andolans into grassroots engagement. Evidence shows that out of all the 150 crore activities reported through 15 Jan Andolans since 2018, SHG participation has been  vital  for  community  level  sensitization.  In  the  last  celebrated  Poshan  Maah  from  17 September to 16 October 2025, there have been reported a total of 14.33 crore activities and MoRD has contributed as the third largest convergence Ministry with 35.26 lakh sensitization activities across the country through the engagement of SHGs.

Also, under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAYNRLM) as on 31 st  January 2025 about 10.05 crore Women households have been mobilized into  90.90  lakh  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs).  The  State/UT  wise  details  of  the  number  of households mobilized into SHGs since 2011 is attached in Annexure I.

Additionally, to strengthen processes for community engagement, empowerment of beneficiaries and increased social accountability under the Mission, there is a provision for organizing Community Based Events (CBEs) twice in a month at each Anganwadi Centre. Community based events such as Annaprasan Diwas, Godbharai, Suposan Diwas, messages related to public health for improvement of nutrition and to reduce illness, etc. are celebrated. So far, 9 crore 55 lakh CBEs have been conducted since 2018 in close coordination with and support from various community-based and women-led institutions including SHGs.

The  Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs,  through  its  'Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  National  Urban  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAYNULM),'  aims  to  reduce  poverty  and  the vulnerability  of  urban  poor  households  by  enabling  sustainable  income  generation,  skill development,  and  social  empowerment  for  women  in  urban  areas.  The  details  of  women beneficiaries (including SHGs) as on 30 th  September 2024 under DAY-NULM in All India is as under:

- No. of SHG members: 90,30,521
- No. of Skilled Candidates trained:10,99,393
- No. of Skilled Candidates Placed: 6,16,526

The details of women beneficiaries (including SHGs) under DAY-NULM in Punjab is as under

- No. of SHGs members formed: 98,798
- No. of Skilled Candidates trained: 49,121
- No. of Skilled Candidates Placed: 32,850

The  'Evaluation  of  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  in  Package  2:  Women  and  Child Development' commissioned by DMEO, NITI Aayog recognizes grassroots platforms such as Self-Help  Groups  (SHGs)  as  part  of  the  stakeholder  ecosystem  in  women  and  child development interventions. It highlights the critical role of community mobilization, behavior change  communication,  and  joint  community  monitoring  activities  in  delivering  nutrition services, which directly aligns with the field functions performed by SHGs in Poshan Abhiyaan and Anganwadi Services. The report also stresses the necessity of multi-sectoral convergence and engagement of local collectives and community partners to enhance scheme effectiveness, reinforcing the value of linking SHGs with frontline service delivery for improved nutrition outcomes.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2427 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026 REGARDING 'PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN SHGS IN NUTRITION SCHEMES'.

State/UT wise details of the number of households mobilized & SHGs Formed as on 31st January 2025

|   S No | State/UT          | SHGs formedHouseholds Mobilized   | SHGs formedHouseholds Mobilized   |
|--------|-------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|      1 | Andhra Pradesh    | 8,55,600                          | 90,75,289                         |
|      2 | Assam             | 3,61,516                          | 41,11,020                         |
|      3 | Bihar             | 10,97,100                         | 1,27,13,428                       |
|      4 | Chhattisgarh      | 2,76,375                          | 30,68,427                         |
|      5 | Gujarat           | 2,79,758                          | 27,83,006                         |
|      6 | Jharkhand         | 2,91,601                          | 35,89,607                         |
|      7 | Karnataka         | 3,60,684                          | 42,07,374                         |
|      8 | Kerala            | 2,71,209                          | 40,02,478                         |
|      9 | Madhya Pradesh    | 4,87,291                          | 58,29,972                         |
|     10 | Maharashtra       | 6,40,719                          | 65,25,549                         |
|     11 | Odisha            | 5,51,141                          | 57,75,035                         |
|     12 | Rajasthan         | 3,21,875                          | 38,04,161                         |
|     13 | Tamil Nadu        | 3,36,764                          | 40,23,939                         |
|     14 | Telangana         | 4,42,979                          | 48,20,573                         |
|     15 | Uttar Pradesh     | 8,42,101                          | 95,09,884                         |
|     16 | West Bengal       | 11,92,980                         | 1,22,51,533                       |
|     17 | Haryana           | 60,301                            | 6,29,094                          |
|     18 | Himachal Pradesh  | 45,295                            | 3,78,542                          |
|     19 | Jammu &Kashmir    | 91,445                            | 7,97,805                          |
|     20 | Punjab            | 52,118                            | 5,43,246                          |
|     21 | Uttarakhand       | 65,840                            | 4,97,777                          |
|     22 | Arunachal Pradesh | 11,730                            | 91,964                            |
|     23 | Manipur           | 11,538                            | 1,17,457                          |

| 24   | Meghalaya                | 45,312    | 4,44,264     |
|------|--------------------------|-----------|--------------|
| 25   | Mizoram                  | 10,291    | 85,934       |
| 26   | Nagaland                 | 15,419    | 1,35,261     |
| 27   | Sikkim                   | 5,915     | 56,675       |
| 28   | Tripura                  | 51,841    | 4,94,675     |
| 29   | Andaman &Nicobar Islands | 1,294     | 13,194       |
| 30   | Goa                      | 3,891     | 50,735       |
| 31   | Ladakh                   | 1,745     | 12,230       |
| 32   | Lakshadweep              | 348       | 4,363        |
| 33   | Puducherry               | 4,744     | 59,714       |
| 34   | Daman DIU and NH         | 1,645     | 16,674       |
|      | Total                    | 9,090,405 | 10,05,20,879 |

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