THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI RENUKA CHOWDHURY)
(a) As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-III (2005-06), conducted by the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, State-wise details of underweight children of age
group under three years is placed at Annexure-I. In India 31.1% children under 3 years of
age are underweight in urban areas, while 43.7% children of same age group are underweight
in rural areas. However, the data related to male and female children under 3 years of age
is not available.
However, as per NFHS-III the sex-wise information of underweight children from 6
months to 59 months, reveals that 41.9% male and 43.1% female children of the said age group
are underweight.
(b) No data is available for underweight children upto the age of 3 years at global
level. It is therefore not possible to ascertain the rank of India in this category vis-
à -vis other countries.
(c) The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme of the Ministry of Women &
Child Development is one of the key programmes being implemented to improve the nutritional
status of children. The ICDS is an inter-sectoral programme, benefiting the children in the
age group of 0-6 years.
(d) The details of the amount released under ICDS Scheme (General) during the year
2004-05 to 2007-08 (upto 7.8.2007) is placed at Annexure-II. The State-wise number of
Anganwadi Kendras targeted for operationalization and operationalized in the country during
the last three years are placed at Annexure-III.
(e) The details of number of child deaths due to malnutrition are not maintained centrally
by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. However, malnutrition is not a direct cause
of death although it can increase the susceptibility to morbidity and mortality by reducing
body’s resistance to infections. As per the Registrar General of India Survey, the Child
Mortality Rate (CMR) in the year 2005 (age 0-4 years) is 17.3 per thousand population of
the corresponding age group.
