Lok Sabha Question No. 3572 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Malnutrition and Anemia among Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Anurag Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION 3572 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2026

## MALNUTRITION AND ANEMIA AMONG CHILDREN

## 3572. SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

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

- (a) the details of the specific initiatives/schemes undertaken by the Government to address anemia  and  malnutrition  particularly  among  children  and  adolescents  in  Jhansi  and Lalitpur districts in Uttar Pradesh;
- (b) the details of the progress made in reducing malnutrition, stunting and wasting rates in the said districts along with the measures being taken to strengthen Anganwadi services therein;
- (c) whether the Government plans to implement community-based nutrition models and fortified food distribution programmes in the said district to address hidden hunger; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  timeline  for  its  implementation  in  the  said districts?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b) To address the challenge of malnutrition, Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and  Scheme  for  Adolescent  girls  (of  14-18  years  age  in  Aspirational  Districts  and  NorthEastern 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 includes beneficiaries; Children under 6 years of age, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls of the country including Jhansi and Lalitpur districts in Uttar Pradesh.

The Poshan Tracker Application data of malnutrition (Stunting, Wasting and Underweight) among  those  children  under  five  in  Jhansi  and  Lalitpur  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  who  attended

Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  or  received  Anganwadi  services  at  home  is  available  at: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics.

In  addition,  regular  anthropometric  monitoring -comprising  systematic  measurements  of height and weight -is undertaken across the State. Special attention is accorded to children identified as malnourished, who are provided with counselling and need-based referral services to enable timely nutritional intervention and recovery.

One of the major activities undertaken under Mission Poshan 2.0 is Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy to educate people on nutritional aspects as adoption of good nutrition habit  requires  sustained  efforts  for  behavioural  change.  State  and  UTs  are  conducting  and reporting regular sensitisation activities under Jan Andolans during Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada 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 (AWWs) are required to conduct two Community Based Events every month.

Further, Ministry of Women & Child Development and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have jointly released the Protocol for Management of malnutrition in Children to prevent and treat severely acute malnutrition in children.

(c)  and  (d) :  A  key  component  is  to  enable  the  right  kind  of  nourishment  through  Poshan Vatikas or Nutri-gardens that are located in AWCs across the country to provide easy and affordable access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and herbs. To encourage diet-diversity and consumption of wholesome local produce, Poshan Vatikas have been developed at AWCs. The States and Union Territory Administrations are encouraged to decide menu suitable to the local conditions within the prescribed nutrition and food norms and to procure locally grown food items like millets, vegetables, condiments etc. The selection of ingredients, recipes and menu for supplementary nutrition rests with States/UTs in accordance with local palate and includes locally available cereals/millets, pulses, vegetables, nuts and fats.

The eligible beneficiaries -namely children aged 06 months to 06 years, pregnant women, and lactating  mothers -are  provided  with  supplementary  nutrition.  In  accordance  with  the communication issued by the Department of Child Development and Nutrition, Government of Uttar Pradesh, dated 01 October 2020, and under the decentralized system, production units have  been  established  at  the  block  level  in  43  districts  of  the  State,  including  Jhansi  and Lalitpur. These units are operated by Self Help Groups under the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood  Mission  and  are  responsible  for  the  production  and  supply  of  recipe-based supplementary nutrition.

The recipe-based supplementary nutrition is fortified with Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, and Vitamin C.

In  view  of  the  time  required  for  establishing  production  units  across  all  districts/projects, interim  arrangements  have  been  made  in  the  remaining  districts/projects.  Under  this arrangement,  fortified  edible  oil  and  fortified  wheat  porridge  are  being  supplied  through NAFED, while fortified rice is being provided to beneficiaries through the Food and Civil Supplies  Department.  Fortified  wheat  porridge  and  fortified  rice  are  enriched  with  Iron, Vitamin  B9,  and  Vitamin  B12,  while  fortified  edible  oil  is  enriched  with  Vitamin  A  and Vitamin D2.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements 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 nutrition concerns among adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under 5 years, across the country including aspirational districts. Details are placed below:

- Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy is implemented to reduce prevalence of anemia among  children  and  women  in  life  cycle  approach  through  implementation  of  six interventions;  Prophylactic  Iron  and  Folic  Acid  supplementation  (IFA  Syrup  is provided biweekly to children 6-59 months, and IFA Red tablets are provided weekly to women of reproductive age), Deworming, Intensified behavioral change communication  campaign,  Testing  for  anemia  and  treatment  as  per  protocols, mandatory provision of IFA fortified food in public health programmes and addressing non nutritional causes of anemia via robust institutional mechanism.
- 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 Moderate and Severe Acute Malnourishment with medical complications with special focus  on  improving  the  skills  of  mothers  and  caregivers  on  timely,  adequate  and appropriate feeding for children.
- Under National Deworming Day (NDD) albendazole  tablets  are  administered  in  a single fixed day approach via schools and Anganwadi centers in two rounds (February and August) to reduce the worm infestation among all children and adolescents (1-19 years).
- 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.

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