Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0

• 04 Aug 2022

For Prelims: Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) National Creche Scheme, Sustainable Development Goals, Poshan Vatikas

For Mains: Poshan 2.0 and its significance in providing the downtrodden children and women in the society

Why in News?

Recently, Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued Operational Guidelines regarding implementation of Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.

• It will also promote Aadhaar seeding of beneficiaries to ensure last-mile tracking of take-home rations and tracking of migration of pregnant women and lactating mothers.

What is Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0?

• About:
  • In Financial Year (FY) 2021-22, the Government of India (GoI) restructured the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and POSHAN (Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan into Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0
  • The restructured scheme consists of the following sub-schemes:
    • ICDS
    • POSHAN Abhiyaan
    • Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG)
    • National Creche Scheme
• Fund:
  • Poshan 2.0 is an ongoing Centrally-sponsored programme being implemented through the State Governments/ UT administrations based on a cost sharing ratio between the Central Government and the State Government.
• Vision:
  • It seeks to address the challenging situation of malnutrition among children up to the age of 6 years, adolescent girls (14-18 years) and pregnant and lactating women.
  • It is crucial for India’s development as women and children comprise over two thirds of India’s population.
  • The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals lies at the fore-front of this programme design.
  • It shall contribute to the SDGs, specifically, SDG 2 on Zero Hunger and SDG 4 on Quality Education.
  • The Mission will focus on the fundamental importance of nutrition and early childhood care and education for the well-being, growth and development of children into healthy and productive adults.
• Objectives:
  • To prepare a comprehensive strategy to address the challenge of malnutrition, the Supplementary Nutrition Programme under Anganwadi Services.
  • Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Poshan Abhiyaan have been aligned under Poshan 2.0 as an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme.
  • The objectives of Poshan 2.0 are as follows:
    • To contribute to human capital development of the country.
    • Address challenges of malnutrition.
    • Promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for sustainable health and wellbeing.
    • Address nutrition related deficiencies through key strategies.
    • AYUSH systems shall be integrated under Poshan 2.0 for wellness and nourishment.
• Components:
  • Nutrition Support for POSHAN through Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) for children of the age group of 06 months to 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers (PWLM).
    • For Adolescent Girls in the age group of 14 to 18 years in Aspirational Districts and North Eastern Region (NER).
  • Early Childhood Care and Education (3-6 years) and early stimulation for (0-3 years).
  • Anganwadi Infrastructure including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadi, and
  • Poshan Abhiyaan.

What are the Guidelines?

• The scheme is open to all eligible beneficiaries and the only pre-condition is that the beneficiary has to be registered at the nearest Anganwadi centre with Aadhaar identification.
• The beneficiaries for the scheme will be adolescent girls in the age group of 14-18 years who will be identified by the states concerned.
• AYUSH shall propagate the campaigns of 'Yoga at Home, Yoga with Family' and AWCs and households to encourage beneficiaries to practice yoga and stay healthy.
• The Ministry of AYUSH shall extend technical support for scheme implementation.
• Efforts shall be made for 100% measurement of the children.
• It promotes the Use of jaggery, Fortification with indigenous plants like moreng (sahjan/drumstick) and ingredients that provide higher energy intake in smaller volume of food.

Way Forward

• About 68% of the deaths of children under the age of five in India can be attributed to child and maternal malnutrition.
  • This basically means that tackling malnutrition as a whole, instead of addressing one disease at a time, will keep our children much safer and make their futures brighter.
• The Poshan 2.0 scheme is in the right direction and further the implement should reach the downtrodden with minimum or no leakages.

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Prelims

Q. Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017)

1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
3. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only
(d) 3 and 4 only

Ans: (a)

Exp:

• National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan) is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, GoI, which ensures convergence with various programmes like Anganwadi services, National Health Mission, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Swachh-Bharat Mission, etc.
• The goals of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) are to achieve improvement in nutritional status of children from 0-6 years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers in a time bound manner during the next three years beginning 2017- 18. Hence, 1 is correct.
• NNM targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight of babies. Hence, 2 is correct.
• There is no such provision relating to consumption of millets, unpolished rice, coarse cereals and eggs under NNM. Hence, 3 and 4 are not correct. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Source: PIB