Parliament Question: Allocation of Funds under POSHAN 2.0

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION No. 2192 ANSWERED ON 31.07.2026 ALLOCATION OF FUNDS UNDER POSHAN 2.0 2192. SHRI DEVESH SHAKYA: MS. IQRA CHOUDHARY: SHRI LALJI VERMA: SHRI BABU SINGH KUSHWAHA SHRI NEERAJ MAURYA: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) the proportion of funds allocated under POSHAN 2.0 that were spent on administrative/promotional activities and on actual nutrition improvement in Uttar Pradesh separately; (b) whether due to caste and social discrimination in rural areas, children from Dalit and backward dominated hamlets are technically deprived of the benefits of Poshan Tracker and Centres, if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of the proposal for establishment of modern centres/cottage industries engaged in the preparation of nutrition meals for children and engaging educated rural youth with it at the local level; and (d) whether the Government has conducted any independent audit to ascertain the reasons for no real reduction in the rate of malnutrition and anaemia among children at the ground level despite the expenditure of crores of rupees? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR) (a) to (d): Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a universal self-selecting umbrella scheme open to all eligible beneficiaries including children under 6 years of age, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls (14-18 years of age in Northeastern States and AspirationalDistricts) of the country. The Mission is being implemented for all beneficiaries, irrespective of caste and social discrimination. Every beneficiary who is willing to undergo the e-KYC procedure and Facial Recognition System (FRS), is fully entitled to receive the benefits of the scheme. Rs 2145.42 crores have been released for State of Uttar Pradesh, during Financial Year 2025-26 under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0. As informed by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, it has adopted a decentralized implementation mechanism for production of Supplementary Nutrition. The production of Take- Home Ration (THR) is primarily undertaken through Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) under the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM), in accordance with the approved policy of the State Government. Also, 21,796 Anganwadi Centres have been upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis with modernized facilities. A third-party evaluation and impact assessment of Poshan Abhiyaan was conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020 and has found its relevance to be satisfactory for tackling malnutrition in the country. NITI Aayog has also got conducted outcome-based evaluation of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 in 2025. Evidence from institutional assessments and household surveys indicated that in its current form, Mission Poshan 2.0 represents the Government’s latest effort to holistically combat malnutrition and promote child development, by building on past programs with a converged and strengthened approach. Further, on the micronutrient front, the prevalence of anaemia among children aged 6–59 months declined by 8.5 percentage points, reflecting the potential impact of iron-folic acid supplementation, fortified foods, and improved outreach under Supplementary Nutrition Programme and related interventions. *****