Question : Supplementary Nutrition Programme

a) whether certain States/UTs are implementing the Programme of providing Supplementary Nutrition under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme by providing special breakfast and hot meals to children aged between three to six years and if so, the details thereof;
b) the details of additional financial assistance provided to those States/UTs for this purpose; and
c) whether there has been any improvement in health and nutritional condition of children due to implementation of said ICDS and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a) Under the Anganwadi Services of the Umbrella ICDS Scheme, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to children 3 - 6 years of age in the form of Morning Snacks and Hot Cooked Meals as the nutritional norms proposed under Schedule II of National Food Security Act, 2013. The Supplementary Food provided at the AWCs may vary from place to place depending upon the locally available foods and the food preferences/habits of the local population.

(b) The fund allocation under SNP is based on cost norms and actual beneficiaries as per cost sharing between Centre and States/UTs. For children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years, funds are released on the basis of Rs. 8 per beneficiary per day.

(c) The impact of ICDS scheme on the nutritional status of women and children is indicated through the data on nutritional indicators captured by country-wide periodic National Family Health Surveys conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. As per the report of the recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS) – 4 in 2015-16, 35.7% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 38.4% are stunted indicating a reduction from the previous NFHS – 3 conducted in 2005-06, which reported 42.5% children under 5 years of age as underweight and 48% stunted.

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