No malnutrition in India by 2022: Smriti Irani

Giving a reply in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Smriti Irani has said that the Centre is determined to make India malnutrition-free by 2022.  Through government initiatives such as Scheme for Adolescent Girls, Anganwadi Services, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, the vaccination scheme Mission Indradhanush and the sanitation scheme Swachh Bharat Mission, malnutrition has been addressed variously, say official reports.  

The Minister said that Poshan Abhiyan has been a success thus far.  It aims to bring down stunting among children from 38.4 per cent in 2015-16 to 25 per cent by 2022.

On the other hand, the Congress party recently slammed the Modi government over its neglect of the issue of malnutrition.  “In 2017, the government approved a budget of over Rs 9,000 Cr for the National Nutrition Mission to tackle malnutrition. But with serious budget cuts and poor implementation, the BJP government does not appear to be serious at all about the targets it set with the United Nations,” the Opposition party said.