Lok Sabha Question No. 1148 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-05
Subject: Assessment of Women and Child Welfare Indicators
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Aashtikar Patil Nagesh Bapurao

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1148

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2025

## ASSESSMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILD WELFARE INDICATORS

## 1148. SHRI AASHTIKAR PATIL NAGESH BAPURAO:

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  challenges  faced  by  women  and  children  in  the  Hingoli  district  of Maharashtra, particularly in the areas of malnutrition among children and adolescent girls, limited  availability  of  functioning  Anganwadi  centres  in  remote  and  tribal  pockets, inadequate access to maternal healthcare and nutritional support for pregnant and lactating women and rising cases of child marriage and school dropouts among girls in certain rural blocks;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to conduct a comprehensive assessment of women and child welfare indicators in said district to identify gaps in service delivery under Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), Poshan Abhiyaan and other central schemes; and
- (c) the  details  of  the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  strengthen Anganwadi  infrastructure,  improve  nutritional  services/enhance  outreach  activities  for women and children in the said region?

## ANSWER

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

(a) To address the challenge of malnutrition, Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (of 14-18 years in Aspirational Districts and North-Eastern region) have been subsumed under the umbrella Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0). It  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Mission  where  the  responsibility  for  implementation  of  various activities lies with the States and UTs. This Mission is a universal self-selecting umbrella scheme where there are no entry barriers for any beneficiary to register and receive services. This Mission is being implemented across the country including rural and tribal districts of Maharashtra. The objectives of Mission are as follows:

- To contribute to development of human capital in the country;
- Address challenge of malnutrition;
- Promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for sustainable health and wellbeing

The status of malnutrition among children and other information related to Anganwadi services in Hingoli district and other tribal districts of Maharashtra is available at the link: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics

Since, the enactment of The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006, the prevalence of child marriage in the country has reduced to almost half from 47 % in National Family Health Survey (NFHS)- 3 (2005- 06) to 23.3% in NFHS-5 (2019-21). This shows that the law has a strong  effect  in  prevention  of  child  marriages  in  the  country.  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development (MWCD) implements the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) component under the umbrella scheme of 'Mission Shakti', wherein creation of awareness on matters pertaining to gender  equality  and  discouraging  child  marriage  is  an  important  focus  area.  The  National Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  under  the  Ministry  also  undertakes awareness programs and consultations with stakeholders from time to time in this regard. The National Legal Services Authority with its States and District arms also creates awareness about the ill- effects of child marriage. NALSA has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to its functionaries  for  effective  prevention  of  child  marriages  in  coordination  with  the  statutory officers and other authorities. It also has a dedicated helpline 15100 which provides free legal aid to  the  specified  sections  of  citizens  including  women  and  children.  The  Central  Government launched 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' campaign on 27th November 2024 which focuses on making India child marriage free. In addition, the Ministry has introduced Child Helpline with short code 1098, a toll-free 24*7*365 telephone emergency outreach service for children in crisis.

Further,  the  key  reasons  for  Out-of-School  Children  (OoSc)  dropping  out  as  identified  by States/UTs include migration, socio economic condition of families, domestic responsibilities on children, poor health of children etc. Various efforts have been made to reduce school dropout by the Department of School Education and Literacy as below:

Samagra Shiksha, an integrated scheme for school education is being implemented since 2018-19 covering the entire gamut from pre-school to class XII. The scheme has also been aligned with the recommendations of NEP 2020 to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable  and  inclusive  classroom  environment  which  should  take  care  of  their  diverse background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in the learning process. In order to reduce dropout, the scheme includes the provision of opening and strengthening of new schools up to senior secondary level; construction of school buildings and additional classrooms; setting up,  up-gradation  and  running  of  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika Vidyalayas; setting up of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas; free uniforms, free text  books,  transport  allowance  and  undertaking  enrolment  &  retention  drives,  construction  of hostels  under  Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram  Utkarsh  Abhiyan  for  unsaturated  ST  population, reimbursement  under  RTE  Act,  various  qualitative  components,  strengthening  of  teacher education and strengthening of DIETs/BRCs/CRCs, provision of ICT and digital interventions. Government has also taken initiatives such as Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) and implementation of Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID to monitor the drop out and other education indicators.

In addition, support is provided through special training for age-appropriate admission of Out of School Children and for the training of residential as well as non-residential older children. The provision of seasonal hostels or residential camps, special training centres at worksites, transport/ escort  facility  are  also  available  for  bringing  Out  of  School  Children  to  the  formal  schooling structure. Financial assistance upto ₹ 2000 per annum is being provided for Out of School Children of  age  group  of  16-19  years,  belonging  to  socio  economically  disadvantaged  groups,  for completing their education through NIOS/SIOS, for accessing course materials and certification. Under the student-oriented component for the children with special needs of the scheme, financial assistance is provided for identification and assessment of children with special needs, aids and appliances,  braille  kits  and  books,  appropriate  teaching  learning  material  and  stipend  to  girl students with disability etc. All States/UTs including Maharashtra have been directed to reduce the  dropout  rate  and  number  of  Out  of  School  Children  (OoSC).  States/UTs  have  also  been requested to participate in 'Bringing Children Back to School' campaign with the full and active engagement of School Management Committees and community involvement through Panchayati Raj Institutions.

(b) The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India. It provides report on fertility, infant and child mortality, the practice of family planning, maternal and child health, reproductive health, nutrition, anaemia, utilization and quality of health and family planning services. Various rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare since 1992-93 have shown improvement in malnutrition indicators in children across India. Details of these indicators from NFHS-1 to NFHS-5 are given below:

| NFHS Survey                       |   Stunting% |   Underweight% |   Wasting% |
|-----------------------------------|-------------|----------------|------------|
| NFHS-1 (1992-93) *                |       52    |          53.4  |      17.5  |
| NFHS-2 (1998-99) **               |       45.5  |          47    |      15.5  |
| NFHS-3 (2005-6) ***               |       48    |          42.5  |      19.8  |
| NFHS-4 (2015-16) ***              |       38.4  |          35.8  |      21    |
| NFHS-5 (2019-21) ***              |       35.5  |          32.1  |      19.3  |
| Poshan Tracker (October 2025) *** |       33.54 |          14.41 |       5.03 |

The  analysis  of  the  above  NFHS  data  and  the  Poshan  Tracker  data  shows  improvement  in malnutrition indicators in children across the country including Maharashtra.

In  2021,  the  World  Bank  conducted  a  survey  in  11  priority  states  (Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar, Chhattisgarh,  Gujarat,  Jharkhand,  Karnataka,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Rajasthan,  Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh) with the highest rates of anemia and stunting. The aim of this survey was to  assess  the  program's  delivery  of  nutrition  services,  whether  the  nutritional  knowledge  of beneficiaries  had  improved  and  if  they  had  adopted  more  appropriate  nutrition  and  feeding practices.

The findings demonstrated that the services delivered through the Poshan Abhiyaan -the receipt of relevant messages, home visits by the anganwadi worker, and attendance at community-based events -were  associated  with  improved  nutrition  behaviors.  The  survey  also  found  that  the program's nutrition messages reached more than 80% of women, and that 81% of women practiced exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. A third-party evaluation and impact assessment of Poshan Abhiyaan was conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020 and in 2025 and found its relevance to be satisfactory for tackling malnutrition in the country.

(c)  Various  steps  have  been  taken  up  from  time  to  time  to  improve  infrastructure  and  ensure uninterrupted nutrition delivery under Mission Poshan 2.0. Following are some of the initiatives undertaken:

The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  has  taken various  steps  to  address  the challenges  related  to  malnutrition  which  are  being  implemented  in  all  States  and  UTs including Hingoli and other districts of Maharashtra:

- Under this Mission, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years), Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls to address the intergenerational cycle  of  malnutrition  by  adopting  a  life  cycle  approach.  Supplementary  nutrition  is provided in accordance with the nutrition norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act, 2013. These norms have been revised in January 2023. The old norms were largely calorie-specific;  however, the revised norms are more comprehensive and balanced in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the principles of diet diversity that provides for quality protein, healthy fats and micronutrients (Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Dietary Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin-B6 and Vitamin B-12).
- Fortified rice is being supplied to AWCs to meet the requirement of micro-nutrients and to control anaemia among women and children. Greater emphasis is being laid on the use of millets at least once a week for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal and Take-Home ration at Anganwadi centres.
- Ministries of Women & Child Development and Health & Family Welfare have jointly released the protocol for Community Management of Malnutrition (CMAM) to prevent and treat severely acute malnutrition in children and for reducing associated morbidity and mortality.
- The Ministry has issued Integrated Nutrition Support Programme- Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan (2.0), Rules, 2022 on 12 th September 2022 to regulate the entitlements specified under the provisions of National Food Security Act, 2013 for every pregnant woman and lactating mother, till six months after child birth and every child in the age group of six months to six years.
- 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres have been approved to be upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis for improved nutrition delivery and for imparting early childhood care and development. Saksham  Anganwadis  are  provided  with  better  infrastructure  than  the  conventional Anganwadi  Centres  which  includes  internet/Wi-Fi  connectivity,  LED  screens,  water purifier/installation  of  RO  Machine  and  smart  learning  equipments.  A  total  of  14,745 Anganwadis have been approved for upgradation to Saksham Anganwadis in the State of Maharashtra.
- The Government has taken a policy decision to upgrade each Mini AWCs to a full-fledged Anganwadi Centre with one worker and one helper to help in carrying out the various responsibilities under the Mission Poshan 2.0 including responsibilities related to Early Childhood Care & Education. Out of 1,16,852 Mini-AWCs in 23 States/UTs, sanction for upgradation of 1,11,363 Mini-AWCs in 21 States/UTs has been issued till date.
- Poshan  Tracker  an  ICT  tool  has  been  implemented  for  monitoring  and  tracking  of  all AWCs, AWWs and beneficiaries on defined indicators. Technology under 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,  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,  post-natal  care, breastfeeding, and complementary feeding.
- The  PM  JANMAN  Mission  launched  by  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  aims  for  targeted development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) residing in 18 States and a UT. This Mission focuses on 11 critical interventions related to 9 key Ministries including Ministry of Women and Child Development. As on date, a total of 2500 AWCs have been approved for construction under PM JANMAN across the country. A total of 178 number of AWCs have been approved for construction under PM JANMAN in the State of Maharashtra.
- Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  has  launched  Dharti  Aaba  Janjati  Gram  Unnat  Abhiyan (DAJGUA) aimed at improving the socio-economic condition of tribal communities by adopting  saturation  coverage  of  tribal  families  in  tribal  majority  areas  and  aspirational block ST villages.
- Under the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) initiative, the Ministry is imparting training to all the officials and field functionaries in the States/ UTs through a cascading model of training,  wherein  Master  Trainers  (namely,  District  Officers,  Block  Coordinators  and Supervisors) are trained, and the master trainers further train all Anganwadi Workers in the field. As on 30 th  November 2025, 8,95,814 AWWs have been trained across the country. A total of 88,652 number of Anganwadis have been trained under the initiative in the State of Maharashtra.
- Community  Based  Events  (CBEs),  held  twice  a  month  at  each  Anganwadi  Centre, strengthen community engagement and promote better nutrition practices. These events celebrate key milestones for pregnant women and young children and spread awareness on complementary feeding, diet diversity, anaemia, WASH and public health. Since 2018, 8.82 crore CBEs have been conducted.
- Jan Andolans, through Poshan Maah (September) and Poshan Pakhwada (March/April), have driven mass nutrition awareness with over 150 crore activities since 2018. The 8th Rashtriya  Poshan  Maah  (2025),  launched  by  the  Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  in  Madhya Pradesh, focused on themes such as obesity, ECCE, IYCF, men's involvement, vocal -forlocal foods and digital convergence. This edition alone saw 14.33 crore activities across all States/UTs in partnership with more than 18 Ministries.
- Village  Health  Sanitation  and  Nutrition  Days  (VHSNDs)  are  observed  by  Ministry  of Health  and  Family  Welfare  in  convergence  with  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development for creating mass awareness on maternal and child health services including nutrition. I t's a community platform, connecting the community and health systems and facilitating convergent actions. It attempts to bring health, early childhood development, nutrition and sanitation services to the doorstep and promote community engagement for improved health and wellbeing.

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