New Delhi: The interim budget on Thursday provided a 3% boost to ₹21,200 crore, for the next financial year, for the women and child development ministry’s integrated Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme.
The scheme is targeted at tackling malnutrition challenges among children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
“Various schemes for maternal and childcare will be brought under one comprehensive programme for synergy in implementation,” finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech. “Upgradation of anganwadi centres under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 will be expedited for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care and development.”
Mint had reported on 18 January that the allocation for both the schemes would be ₹21,170 crore.
The budget estimate for the scheme in FY24 was ₹20,554 crore, 1.4% higher than the revised allocation of ₹20,263 crore for FY23. The scheme had received its highest hike in FY23–up by about 10% from the ₹18,382 crore allocated for FY22.
The women and child development ministry’s total budget allocation for FY25 has witnessed a marginal increase of 2.5% to ₹26,092 crore from ₹25,449 crore for FY24.
More than 80% of the ministry’s allocation is dedicated to the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme. The Mission Shakti scheme—aimed at women’s safety and empowerment—received ₹1,472.17 crore.
As per the National Family Health Survey-5 for 2019-21, the latest available nutrition indicators for children younger than five years had improved from the period of the earlier survey (NFHS-4, 2015-16).
Improving nutritional levels among children and mothers remains a top priority for the government, a government official said on condition of anonymity. A second official said that the scheme is proving helpful in addressing issues of stunting and wasting, particularly in tribal areas.
Prevalence of stunting in children had reduced from 38.4% to 35.5%, of wasting from 21.0% to 19.3%, and of underweight instances from 35.8% to 32.1%. Wasting occurs when a child’s weight is too low for her height.
The Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme was approved for implementation during the 15th Finance Commission period of 202l-22 to 2025-26.
Services under the scheme have reached about 95 million beneficiaries, including 7.7 million children under age six, and 1.8 million pregnant women and lactating mothers, Union minister for women and child development, Smriti Irani, informed the Rajya Sabha in February last year.
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Published: 01 Feb 2024, 03:04 PM IST
