Centre to invest additional Rs 12,000 crore for nourishment of maternal, neonatal health till 2020

The Centre will for over the next three years invest an additional Rs. 12,000 crore for the nutrition of pregnant and lactating women, children in the age group of 0-6 years, and out of school adolescent girls. 

The decision was made during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Cabinet has approved the proposal for revision of cost norms with annual cost indexation for Supplementary Nutrition (SN) for the beneficiaries of Anganwadi Services and Adolescent Girls (out of school 11-14 years) under the Umbrella ICDS Scheme. This addresses a long-standing anomaly and ensures that the changes in norms keeps pace with changes in costs on an annual basis. 

This follows the decision by the Government to provide cash benefits to pregnant and lactating mothers under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, and is part of an intensive effort to improve the nutritional status of women and children. 

The revision of cost norms for SN for beneficiaries of Aanganwadi Services would cost additional expenditure of Rs.9,900 crore and for beneficiaries of Adolescent Girls, it would cost Rs.2,267.18 crore as GoI share for a period from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

The revision in the cost norms of SN for the beneficiaries of Anganwadi Services and Adolescent Girls would impact the health and nutritional status of about 11 crore beneficiaries per annum.