Policy for Child Nutirition

Nutrition lies in the domain of Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) including its implementation and policy. With focus on nutrition, the Government is implementing Anganwadi Services under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which is implemented by the States/UTs with the objectives to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years; lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child; reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout; achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development; and to enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

Under the Scheme six services namely Supplementary Nutrition, Health & Nutrition Education, Pre-school Education, Immunization, Referral Services and Health Check-up are provided at the AnganwadiCentres (AWCs). Supplementary Nutrition is provided to the different categories of beneficiaries, as per the details given below:

S. No	Categories	Type of meal or food as per the nutritional standards specified in Schedule II of the act
1	Children (Between 6 to 36 months)	Take Home Ration as per Integrated Child Development Services guidelines in conformity with the provisions of the Act
2	Malnourished children (Between 6 to 36 months)	The same type of Take Home Ration as above with food supplement of 800 calories and 20-25 grams of protein
3	Children (Between 3 to 6 years)	Morning snacks and hot cooked meal as per Integrated Child Development Services norms
4	Malnourished children (Between 3 to 6 years)	Additional 300 calories of energy and 8-10 grams of protein in addition to the meal or food provided to children between three to six years

Further, all children studying in  Classes, I-VIII  of  Government,  Government-Aided  Schools, Special  Training  Centres  including  Madarsas and Maqtabs,  supported  under  SamagraShiksha  are covered under Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), a Centrally-Sponsored Scheme of Government of India.

 

Mid-Day Meal Guidelines  2006  envisages  that  the  cooked  mid-day  meal should provide  prescribed  nutritional contents through  prescribed  amounts  of food  articles as mentioned  below:

S. No.	Items	Primary	Upper Primary
A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day)
1	Calorie	450	700
2	Protein	12 gms	20 gms
B) Food Norms (Per child per day)
1	Foodgrains	100 gms	150 gms
2	Pulses	20 gms	30 gms
3	Vegetables	50 gms	75 gms
4	Oil and Fat	5 gms	7.5 gms
5	Salt and condiments	As per need	As per need

In addition, with the aim to ensure safe and wholesome food for school children, Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified Food Safety and Standards (Safe food and balanced diets for children in school) Regulations, 2020 delineating what is healthy for children and what is not.

With the aim to create awareness about nutrition and healthy food etc. ‘Rashtriya POSHAN Maah’ is celebrated across the country in the month of September. Similarly, 8-22 March is celebrated as POSHAN Pakhwada. The POSHAN Maah and Pakhwada witnessed wide participation and enthusiasm from convergent Ministries, States/UTs, field functionaries, community groups, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and others.

Awareness generation activities such as “Eat Right India” campaign are also undertaken with the objective to create awareness about ‘Eating Healthy’ ‘Eating Safe’ and ‘Eating Sustainably ‘among school children and the community at large.

 

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh. Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in a written reply in the LokSabha here today.