Lok Sabha Question No. 2264 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Initiatives for the  Welfare of  Women and  Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Saumitra Khan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2264 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## INITIATIVES FOR THE WELFARE OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

## 2264.  SHRI SAUMITRA KHAN:

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

- (a) the current status of malnutrition and anemia among women and children in the country along  with  the  steps  being  taken  to  address  these  issues  effectively  including  West Bengal;
- (b) whether any measures are being implemented to ensure safety and empowerment of women especially in rural and underserved areas of said State, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  introduced  any  new  schemes/programmes  to  promote education and skill development of girls to enhance their participation in the workforce, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  details  of  the  steps  being  taken  to  prevent  child  labour  and  ensure  access  to education and healthcare for all children; and
- (e) whether  the  Ministry  is  collaborating  with  State  Government/NGOs  to  implement innovative approaches for the holistic development of women and children especially in the said State, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a): The status of malnutrition among children in the country including in the State of West Bengal is available at: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics

A total of 52.2% pregnant women are anaemic as per NFHS- 5 (2019-21). As per NFHS-5, 71% of women in West Bengal have anaemia, including 30 percent with mild anaemia, 39 percent  with  moderate  anaemia,  and  2  percent  with  severe  anaemia.  The  information  is available at: https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR374/FR374\_WestBengal.pdf.

To address the challenge of malnutrition, Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (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 open to all eligible beneficiaries, i.e., Children under 6 years of age, pregnant women, lactating mothers till 6 months after childbirth and adolescent girls (14-18 years of age) in Northeastern States and Aspirational Districts of the country. The Mission is being implemented across the country, including in the State of West Bengal.

To  effectively address  the issue of  malnutrition,  a  multi-sectoral  approach  involving dimensions of food, health, water, sanitation and education is crucial. It is being addressed under  the  Mission  by  establishing  cross  cutting  convergence  amongst  more  than  18 Ministries/Departments.

Under this Mission, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years), Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls (14-18 years) in accordance with nutrition  norms  contained  in  Schedule-II  of  the  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013.  These norms have been revised in January 2023. 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 and recommend provision of quality protein, healthy fats and 7 essential micronutrients (Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Dietary Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin-B6 and Vitamin B-12).

Fortified  rice  is  being  supplied  under  supplementary  nutrition  programme  to  meet  the requirement of micro-nutrients among women and children. Greater emphasis is laid on the use of millets at least once a week for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal (HCM) and TakeHome Ration (THR) at Anganwadi Centers.

Ministries  of  Women  &  Child  Development  and  Health  &  Family  Welfare  have  jointly released the protocol for Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children to prevent and treat  severely  acute  malnutrition  in  children  and  for  reducing  associated  morbidity  and mortality.

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 in the whole country including tribal and remote areas. 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),  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.

Under this Mission, one of the major activities undertaken is Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy to educate people on nutritional aspects as adoption of healthy eating habits requires sustained efforts for behavioural change. State and UTs are conducting and reporting regular sensitisation activities under Jan Andolans during Poshan Maahs and Poshan

Pakhwadas celebrated in the months of September and March-April respectively. Community Based Events (CBEs) have served as a significant strategy in changing nutritional practices and all Anganwadi workers are required to conduct two Community Based Events every month. Additionally,  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.

A  total  of  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.

Besides above efforts by Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle approach under National Health Mission (NHM), which includes interventions to address malnutrition and anaemia across all States/UTs  in  the  country.  One  of  the  interventions  is  Anaemia  Mukt  Bharat.  To  address nutritional  deficiencies  among  children  across  the  country,  following  interventions  are implemented:

- Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA)  Programme  is implemented to improve breastfeeding coverage which includes early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding  for first  six  months  followed  by  counselling  on  age-appropriate complementary feeding practices.
- Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs) are set up at public health facilities to provide in-patient medical and nutritional care to children under 5 years suffering from Severe Acute  Malnourishment  (SAM)  with  medical  complications  with  special  focus  on improving the skills of mothers and caregivers on timely, adequate and appropriate feeding for children.
- Under Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB)  strategy prophylactic Iron Folic Acid supplementation as biweekly IFA syrup is provided to children (6-59 months) across all States/UTs.
- Lactation  Management  Centres:  Lactation  Management  Units  (LMU)  are  facilities established to ensure the availability of Mother's Own Milk or Donor Human Milk for feeding of sick, preterm and low birth weight babies admitted in Intensive Care Units.
- Under  National  Deworming  Day  (NDD)  albendazole  tablets  are  administered  in  a single fixed day approach via schools and Anganwadi centres in two rounds (February and  August)  to  reduce  the  soil  transmitted  helminth  (STH)  infestation  among  all children (1-19 years).
- Vitamin  A  Supplementation  programme  is  implemented  to  administer  biannual Vitamin A supplementation to all children below five years of age (9-59 months).
- Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) are observed for provision of maternal and child health services and creating awareness on maternal and childcare including nutrition in convergence with Ministry of Women and Child Development.

(b): Measures  being  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  to ensure safety and empowerment of women especially in rural and underserved areas of West Bengal are as follows:

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA) has been enacted to prevent and curb child marriages and to take punitive action against those associated with the solemnisation of child marriages. 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.

The National Legal Services Authority (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  Ministry  launched  'Bal  Vivah  Mukt  Bharat'  campaign  on  last  year  which  focuses  on making  India  child  marriage  free.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important  imperatives  to  promote education,  skilling,  enterprise  and  entrepreneurship  among  girls  and  women  to  realise  the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' through 'whole of government' and 'whole of society' approach, including the civil society organisations. Under the campaign, a portal 'https://stopchildmarriage.wcd.gov.in'  has  been  launched  to  support  the  States  and  UT s  in raising  awareness  against  child  marriage  and  for  effective  reporting  and  prevention  of incidences of child marriage. The portal also has facility to provide information to citizens about  Child  Marriage  Prohibition  Officers  (CMPOs)  of  all  States/  UTs.  The  portal  has information of more than 38,000 CMPOs which is accessible by the public.

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.

Shakti Sadan Scheme under the overarching Mission Shakti, erstwhile Schemes of Swadhar Greh for women in difficult circumstances and Ujjawala Home for Prevention of Trafficking have been merged and known as Shakti Sadan which is an Integrated Relief and Rehabilitation Home for women in distress situations including trafficked women. The Scheme is a demand driven Centrally Sponsored Scheme, under which funds are released directly to the States/UTs for implementation of the scheme. It aims at creating a safe and enabling environment for the women in distress situations, to enable them to overcome the difficult circumstances. Presently, 407 Shakti Sadans are functional across the country.

Sakhi Niwas Scheme (Working Women Hostel) under the overarching Mission Shakti, is a demand driven Centrally Sponsored Scheme, under which funds are released directly to the States/UTs for implementation of the scheme. The scheme aims to promote availability of safe and conveniently located accommodation for working women in urban, semi-urban and in rural areas where employment opportunity for women exists. Under the Scheme, financial assistance is provided for running of Sakhi Niwas in rented premises for working women and for those women who are  under  training  for  job.  Provision  of  Day  Care  Centre  for  children  of  the residents of the Sakhi Niwas is an important aspect of the scheme. Presently, 531 Sakhi Niwas are functional across the country.

(c)  to  (e): Government of India has taken proactive steps to improve employability of the women, through skill development. Under the Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of Skill Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  delivers  skill,  re-skill  and  up-skill  training through an extensive network of skill development centres under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Sikhshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial  Training  Institutes  (ITIs),  to  all  the  sections  of  the  society  across  the  country, including women in rural areas. SIM aims at enabling youth, including women of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills.

Further,  to  encourage  participation  of  women  in  skill  development  programs,  special provisions have been made for meeting expenditure on conveyance and boarding & lodging as well as enhanced post placement support. PMKVY 4.0 prioritizes and provides special focus to projects that emphasize women as primary beneficiaries. Special Projects under PMKVY are  designed  to  align  with  local  skill  demands,  creating  opportunities  for  rural  women  to participate  and  benefit  from  skill  development  schemes.  This  inclusive  approach  ensures significant representation and benefit for women in skill training programs across the country. Under NAPS, the introduction  of  trades  in  services  sector  (Optional  Trade)  has  led  to  the significant  improvement in the women participation in apprenticeship. Under JSS Scheme, focus is being given to women and other vulnerable sections. Women constitute more than 82% of beneficiaries under JSS. Also, there are 19 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and  more  than  300  ITIs  exclusively  for  women.  Government  of  India  approved  30% reservation of seats for women candidates in all ITIs (Govt. & Private) in all courses and these seats could be filled based on the general reservation policy of each respective State/UTs.

MSDE in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, has launched a joint initiative named NAVYA Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls. NAVYA is a pilot initiative aimed at equipping adolescent girls aged 16-18 years  with  a  minimum  qualification  of  class  10,  with  vocational  training  mainly  in  nontraditional job-roles.

Also,  MSDE in collaboration with the  Women  Entrepreneurship Platform of NITI  Aayog, launched the Swavalambini a Women Entrepreneurship Programme in February 2025 in the Northeastern States of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and also in Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The programme aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among female students through Entrepreneurship Awareness Training (EAP) and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP). National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD). Noida and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati are the implementing agencies under aegis of MSDE.

The  Ministry  of  WCD  is  implementing  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme  namely  "Mission Vatsalya" under which support is provided to State and UT Governments to deliver various services for children in difficult circumstances including victims of child labour.  The Child Care  Institutions  (CCIs)  established  under  the  scheme  support,  inter-alia,  age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. and covers both rural and urban children. Under Non-Institutional Care Services, support is provided to the children through Sponsorship, Foster Care, Adoption and After Care.

Further, The Ministry of women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry for the Juvenile Justice  (Care  and  Protection  of  Children)  Act,  2015  (JJ  Act,  2015)  which  is  the  primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of children and is implemented by the States and UTs.

As per Section 2 (14) (ii) and (ix) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act) as amended in 2021, a child who is found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force or is found begging, or living on the street and who is found vulnerable and is likely to be inducted into drug abuse or trafficking is included as a 'child in need of care and protection', among others.

The JJ Act, 2015 mandates a security net of service delivery structures to provide Institutional and non-Institutional care to these children. The primary responsibility of execution of the Act, as such, lies with the State/UTs. Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Mission Vatsalya Scheme for care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult  circumstances.  Under  Mission  Vatsalya,  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  State Governments/UT Administrations, for, inter-alia, undertaking a situational analysis of children in  difficult  circumstances,  for  setting  up  and  maintenance  of  various  types  of  Child  Care Institutions (CCIs) for providing various rehabilitative services through institutional and noninstitutional care.

Besides this, under Mission Poshan 2.0, Rs. 4 Lakh per district is provided annually to the districts in all States and UTs, to introduce best practices/ replicable innovation that contribute to addressing the challenge of malnutrition.

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