(a) whether the Government has implemented any scheme to provide
supplementary nutrition and essential drugs to pregnant women, lactating
mothers and children in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the funds sanctioned and released and its utilization reported
by the State Governments during each of the last three years and the
current year for the purpose?
MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI KRISHNA TIRATH)
(a) & (b): Ministry of Women & Child Development is administering a
centrally sponsored scheme named Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS) Scheme which is being implemented through the State Governments
/UT Administrations, all over the country. It aims at holistic
development of children below 6 years of age and pregnant and
lactating mothers by providing a package of six services (i)
Supplementary nutrition (ii) Pre-school non-formal education
(iii) Nutrition and health Education (iv) Immunization (v) Health
check-up and(vi) Referral services.
Three services viz. Immunization, Health check-up and Referral
services are provided in convergence with Public Health Systems
of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Under the RCH and NRHM
Programme of the said Ministry, pregnant and lactating mothers and
children are provided health coverage facilities which include
institutional delivery, medicines, health check-up etc.
Further, there is a provision for medicine kits amounting to Rs.600/-
per Anganwadi Centre (AWC) at each AWC each year containing basic medicines.
Supplementary Nutrition under ICDS is provided to children below 6 years
of age and pregnant & lactating mothers primarily to bridge the gap
between the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Average
Daily Intake (ADI).
The provision of supplementary nutrition under ICDS Programme prescribed
for various categories of beneficiaries is as follows:
(i) Children in the age group of 6 months to 3 years: Food supplement
of 500 calories of energy and 12-15 gms. of Protein per child per day as
Take Home Ration (THR) in the form of Micronutrient Fortified Food and/or
energy-dense food marked as ‘ICDS Food Supplement’.
(ii) Children in the age group of 3-6 years: Food supplement of 500
calories of energy and 12-15 gms of Protein per child per day. Since a
child or this age group is not capable of consuming of meal of 500 calories
in one sitting, the guidelines prescribed provision of morning snack in the
form of milk/banana/seasonal fruits/Micronutrient Fortified Food etc. and a
Hot Cooked Meal.
(iii) Severely underweight children: Food supplement of 800 calories of
energy and 20-25 gms of Protein per child per day in the form of Micronutrient
fortified and/or energy dense food as Take Home Ration.
(iv) Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers: Food supplement of 600 calories
of energy and 18-20 gms of Protein per day in the form of Micronutrient
Fortified Food and/or energy dense food as Take Home Ration.
(c): The ICDS Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the Government
releases Grant-in-aid to the States/UTs on a sharing ratio of 90:10 for all
components including Supplementary Nutrition Programme [SNP] for North East
and 50:50 for SNP and 90:10 for all other components for all States other
than North East.
The details of funds released and expenditure reported by the State
Governments/UT Administrations under ICDS (General) and Supplementary Nutrition
Programme under ICDS during last three years, as on 30.11.2011,
are at Annexure-I and Annexure-II.