Failing on Food- Status of Malnutrition in Children and PM POSHAN Scheme

Table of Contents

Failing on Food- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.

Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the extension of the PM POSHAN Scheme until 2025-26.
This extension comes at a critical time when real income declines and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the ability of families to ensure good nutrition.

National Family Health Survey-5 released its first phase report for 22 States and Union Territories in December 2020.
Key findings-
- Childhood stunting rose in 13 States,
- There was a high prevalence of anaemia among children and women, and
- Wasting was a serious concern in 12 States.
The slippage over the previous survey period exposes the worsening scourge of malnutrition, threatening to deprive millions of children of fully productive adult life.

Centrally supported hot meal programs in Government and Government-aided schools, covering 11.8 crore children, will be supplemented with nutritional elements in identified aspirational districts and areas with high anaemia.
- The scheme is proposed to be extended to pre-primary children.
The PM POSHAN Scheme provides for-
- Social audit,
- Creation of school nutritional gardens to source fresh produce,
- Involvement of farmer-producer organizations as providers, and
- Lays emphasis on local food traditions.

Government should increase budgetary outlays and provide measurable standards for evaluating the outcome of the scheme.
- While some child growth metrics such as stunting require a longer window to measure, problems such as anaemia and low weight lend themselves to speedy amelioration.
The Government must demonstrate that Saksham Anganwadi-Mission POSHAN 2.0 is fiscally stronger than its erstwhile component parts.
- Saksham Anganwadi-Mission POSHAN 2.0- it amalgamates the POSHAN Abhiyan and schemes covering anganwadis, crèches and adolescent girls.
Nutritional planning: the renewed nutritional plan should introduce a greater diversity of diets that compensates for micronutrient and protein deficiency.

Strong supplementation of nutrition at school, in the community, and at childcare centres, is important, especially when food inflation and pandemic-induced income declines have depressed essential consumption.