Cabinet approves setting up of National Nutrition Mission

The Union Cabinet approves setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) with three year budget of 9046.17 crore rupees commencing from 2017-18.
The NNM, as an apex body under Ministry of Women and Child Development will monitor, supervise, fix targets and guide nutrition related interventions across the Ministries. It will monitor various schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition.

Need

There are number of schemes directly and indirectly affecting nutritional status of children (0-6 years age) and pregnant women and lactating mothers. Inspite of these, level of malnutrition and related problems in country is high. There are number of schemes but there is lack in creating synergy and linking between schemes to achieve common goal. NNM through robust convergence mechanism and other components will strive to create synergy.

Function of NNM

Introducing a very robust convergence mechanism including ICT based Real Time Monitoring system. It will incentivize states/UTs for meeting the targets. It will also incentivize Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT based tools. It will eliminate registers used by AWWs.
It will introduce measurement of height of children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). It will aid to conduct Social Audits. It will set-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation on nutrition through various activities, among others.

Implementation strategy and targets

It will be rolled out in three phases from 2017-18 to 2019-20. It will set targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anemia among young children, women and adolescent girls and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively.
Its implementation strategy will be based on intense monitoring and Convergence Action Plan right upto grass root level. Though NMM has set target to reduce stunting is atleast 2% per annum, but it will strive to achieve reduction in stunting to 25% by 2022 (Mission 25 by 2022) from 38.4% (NFHS-4).

Major impact

NMM through set targets will strive to reduce level of anemi, stunting, under-nutrition and low birth weight babies. It will also create synergy, issue alerts for timely action, ensure better monitoring, and encourage States/UTs to perform, supervise Ministries and States/UTs to achieve targeted goals.

Coverage and Beneficiaries

All States and districts will be covered in phased manner i.e. 315 districts in 2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and remaining districts in 2019-20. More than 10 crore people will be benefitted by this programme.

Financial Outlay

NNM has been set with total amount of Rs. 9046.17 crore that will be expended for three years commencing from 2017-18. It will be funded by Government Budgetary Support (50%) and 50% by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD aka World Bank) or other MDB. Government budgetary support would be 60:40 between Centre and States/UTs, 90:10 for Northeast region and Himalayan States and 100% for UTs without legislature. Total Union Government share over period of three years would be Rs. 2849.54 crore.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2017