Lok Sabha Question No. 3585 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Zero Food Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Bag Mitali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION 3585 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2026

## ZERO FOOD CHILDREN

## 3585. SMT. BAG MITALI:

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

- (a) whether India has the highest zero food children in the world, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether India is part of 20 countries that account for almost two-thirds (65%) of the total number of children living in severe child food poverty, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether India has the second highest burden of deaths among children under the age of five years, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)       whether Uttar Pradesh has the highest zero food children, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (d) :There is neither any accepted concept nor any scientific definition of "Zero food children".

Further, as a whole of Government approach, high priority has been accorded by Government of India to the issues of food security and malnutrition in the country. Ministry of Women and Child  Development  (MoWCD),  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  (MoHFW), Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) and Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L) are continuously undertaking targeted interventions to improve the health and nutritional status of children in the country.

To  ensure  food  security  of  the  bottom  67%  (approximately)  population  of  the  country, including children, DFPD provides monthly free foodgrains under National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013. As on January 2026, a total of 81.34 crore beneficiaries have been benefitted. Under the Act, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households are entitled to 35 kg food grains per household per month and Priority Households (PHH) to 5 kg of food grains per person per month. In 2025-26, foodgrain allocation under NFSA and other welfare scheme is 559.93 lakh metric tons.

Through the network of approxmately 14.03 lakh Anganwadi Centres, the MoWCD provides Supplementary  Nutrition  to  7.1  crore  Children  (6  months  to  6  years),  1.2  Crore  Pregnant Women and  Lactating  Mothers  and  15  lakhs  Adolescent  Girls  to  address  malnutrition  by adopting a life cycle approach under its umbrella Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0. In 2025-26, foodgrain allocation under WBNP/ICDS is 23.63 lakh metric tons. PM-POSHAN  is  a  Centrally-Sponsored  Scheme,  implemented  by  Department  of  School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L). It covers all school children studying in Classes I-VIII in Government and Government-Aided Schools with the objective to provide one hot cooked meal every day. The scheme covers about 11.80 crore children studying in 11.20 lakh schools across the country. In 2025-26, foodgrain allocation under PM POSHAN is 22.31 lakh tons. Also,  National  Health  Mission  (NHM)  which  is  being  implemented  by  MoHFW  aims  to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care services to people's needs in a lifecycle approach including interventions for addressing Infant Health and Child Nutrition. Also, over 1190 Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) have been set up in public health facilities across India to provide in-patient medical and nutritional care to children under five years of age who are suffering from Moderate and Severe Acute Malnutrition (MAM & SAM).

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