As per recent news, only 30% of the funds released under the Poshan Abhiyaan, since its launch in 2018, have been utilised by the State governments and the Union Territories. A closer survey outlines that as of October 31, 2019, only 29.97% of the granted funds were operationally used.
Understanding Poshan Abhiyaan
Poshan Abhiyaan is the central government’s flagship programme that was launched with the objective of improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children. The goal is to reduce the rates of stunting, underweight, anaemia, and low birth weight by 2022. The programme aims to reach out to more than 10 crore beneficiaries with a total budget of ₹9,046.17 crore, spread over three years.
The funding for the initiative is divided equally between the World Bank or other multilateral development banks, and the central government’s budgetary support. Further, the government’s contribution is differentiated as 60:40 ratio between the Centre and the States, 90:10 for the north-eastern region and the Himalayan States, and 100% for the Union Territories without legislature.
Performance Analysis of Poshan Abhiyaan
Based on the data, the best five performers in terms of fund utilization are Mizoram (65.12%), Lakshadweep (61.08%), Bihar (55.17%), Himachal Pradesh (53.29%), and Meghalaya (48.37%). On the contrary, the least performing states were identified as Punjab (0.45%), Karnataka (0.74%), Kerala (8.75%), Jharkhand (13.94%), and Assam (23.01%).
The programme was devised to be implemented in stages over the years, which is expected to increase fund use as the programme evolves. Initially, some services like the Integrated Child Development Services-Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) had a slow start but have been picking up pace recently.
Table of Facts
| Scheme | Total Budget | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|
| Poshan Abhiyaan | ₹9,046.17 Crore | More than 10 Crore |
Nutrition Survey Findings and the Role of ICDS
The Ministry of Health and Welfare released the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) recently which revealed that 35% of children under the age of 5 are stunted. Among this demographic, 17% were found to be wasted (low weight for height) and 33% underweight (low weight for age).
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme plays a key role in addressing these issues. Implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the scheme offers specific interventions targeted towards vulnerable groups such as children below six years of age and women. It includes a package of six services: supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition & health education, immunization, health check-up, and referral services. The Common Application Software is designed to utilize technology to further the objectives of the scheme.