The Government has accorded high priority to the issue of malnutrition especially among children and women including young girls and is implementing several schemes/ through State Governments/UT Administrations. The schemes/ include the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) namely SABLA, Gandhi (IGMSY) as direct targeted interventions. Besides, indirect multi- interventions include Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), National Horticulture Mission, National Food Security Mission, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Bharat , National Rural Drinking Water etc.All these schemes have potential to address one or other aspect of Nutrition.
provides a package of services including health and nutrition to adolescent girls in the age 11- 18 years (with a focus The beneficiaries in 2011-12 were 100.77 and during 2012-13 are 88.49 so far.
(IGMSY), a Conditional Cash Transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating (P&L) women to contribute to better enabling environment by providing cash incentives for improved health and nutrition to pregnant and nursing mothersThe scheme is being implemented initially on pilot basis in 53 selected districts. The beneficiaries and during 2012-13 are 3.76 so far.
Project (NCLP) schools, Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS), Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) and and supported under SSA etc.It is a world’s largest school feeding and covers more than 11 children in 12.63 institutions in the country.
, seeks to improve the availability of and access to quality health care including Maternal and Child Health services particularly to rural population throughout the country. Some of the key steps undertaken through this are ; Capacity building of health care providers in basic and comprehensive obstetric care;Name Based Tracking of Pregnant Women;Antenatal, and Postnatal care including Iron and Folic Acid supplementation to pregnant & lactating women for prevention and treatment of ; (JSSK) ( launched on 1st June, 2011)which entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including Caesarean section ; Village Health and Nutrition Days in rural areas as an outreach activity, for provision of maternal and child health services; of sub-centers, Primary Health Centers, Community Health and District Hospitals for providing 24x7 basic and comprehensive obstetric care services. So far, 8.8 Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHAs) have been engaged to interface with the community, more than 5 village Sanitation and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) have been established, 2024 mobile medical units have been provided in 459 districts for delivery of health care.
Recently Government has approved the strengthening and restructuring of ICDS with special focus on pregnant and lactating mothers and children under three. The restructured and strengthened ICDS will be rolled out in three phases with focus on the 200 high burden districts for malnutrition during 2012-13 and additional 200 districts in 2013-14including districts from the special category States and NER and the remaining districts in 2014-15.
Additionally, Government has launched an Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign against malnutrition for generating awareness on key nutrition issues with the pro-bono services of Khan.
, Minister for Women and Child Development, in a written reply to the today.