(a) whether the case of malnutrition among women, lactating mothers and children have increased in far-flung
rural and tribal areas for want of nutritious food and vaccination due to non-availability of Anganwadis;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the scheme formulated by the Government to provide nutritious food and vaccine to these women and
children in the uncovered areas?
MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI KRISHNA TIRATH)
As per NFHS-3, undernutrition is 42.5 % in children below five years. It is 47.9% in Scheduled castes,
54.5% in scheduled tribes and 42.3% in other backward classes. In rural areas it is 45.6 % as compared to 32.7 %
in urban areas. 35.6 % of women suffer from Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED). The prevalence of CED in rural
areas is 40.6% compared to 25 % in urban areas. It is 41.1% in Scheduled castes, 46.6% in scheduled tribes and
35.7 % in other backward classes.
The problem of malnutrition is multi-dimensional and inter-generational in nature, the determinants of
which include household food insecurity, illiteracy and lack of awareness especially in women, access to health
services, availability of safe drinking water, sanitation and proper environmental conditions and adequate
purchasing power etc. The nutritional status of the population is the outcome of complex and inter-related set
of factors and cannot be improved by the efforts of single sector or action alone.
The Government accords high priority to the overall issue of malnutrition, particularly, in respect of
children, adolescent girls and women and has been implementing several schemes/ programmes of different Ministries/
Departments through State Governments/UTs. These schemes, interalia, include Integrated Child Development Services(ICDS), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Mid Day Meals Scheme, Drinking Water & Total Sanitation Campaign,
Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS),
Targeted Public Distribution System etc. Several of the schemes namely, ICDS, NRHM, Mid Day meal (MDM), SGSY
have been expanded to provide for increased coverage and improved services to the people.
To reach out the six services including supplementary nutrition to children below six years, pregnant
and lactating mothers the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme has been universalised with
special focus on SC/ST and minority habitation. There has been revision in cost norms as well as the Nutritional
and Feeding norms of the Supplementary Nutrition component of ICDS.
Government has approved a total of 14 lakh Aganwadi Centres (AWCs)/ mini-AWCs, including 20,000 AWCs-
on demand to cover all the habitations in the country. 13.67 lakh AWCs/ mini-AWCs, including 12.4 lakh AWCs/
mini-AWCs in rural/tribal areas, have been sanctioned in the country. Out of 13.67 lakhs AWCs 11.95 lakh are
operational so far. It is expected that the expansion and universalisation of ICDS and expansion of other
programmes will positively impact the nutritional status in the areas which have not been covered so far.