Parliament in Budget Session 2005

PARLIAMENT IN BUDGET SESSION 2005
1
T
he Parliament of India is the highest legislative body that
frames policies and laws. Policies and laws made by the
Parliamenthaveramificationsonthelivesandlivelihoodof
all persons in the country. Parliament meets for three sessions
in a normal year. These three sessions are the Budget, Monsoon
and Winter Sessions.
During the Budget session, the main role of the Parliament is to
transact the financial business of the Government of India. The
PresidentofIndialaystheAnnualFinancialStatement(Budget)
before both Houses of Parliament. After that, there is a general
discussion of the statement as a whole in both Houses. This
is a general discussion involving a review and criticism of the
administration, and a valuation of the grievances of the people.
No motion is moved at this stage nor is the budget submitted
to vote.
Thevotingofthegrants—thatisofthedemandsforexpenditure
madebythegovernment,istheexclusivebusinessoftheHouse
of the People (Lok Sabha). After discussion, the estimates are
submitted in the form of Demands for Grants under particular
heads. This is followed by a vote of the House on each of the
heads. Those estimates in the Financial Statement (budget)
that relate to expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Fund
ofIndiacannotbesubmittedtothevoteofParliament,however,
each House is competent to discuss any of these estimates.
Estimates relating to other expenditures can be submitted in
the form of Demands for Grants to the Lok Sabha. This House
has the power to accept or refuse any Demand, or assent to a
Demand subject to a reduction of the amount specified. (For a
detailedanalysisseeChapter2,‘SpecialFeature–Parliamentary
Control over Public Money in India’).
Over the last year two years, in our series of booklets (entitled
“Says a Child…Who Speaks for My Rights?”), we have been
examining the interest that parliamentarians have taken in
child-related issues. These issues are highlighted through
questions raised in the question hour, discussions and
deliberations during the zero hour, as well as in the discussions
duringdebateproceedingsregardingvariousBillsandMotions.
Ensuring executive accountability has to be a continuous
process. In India, executive accountability is enforced through
several parliamentary devices. Among these, the Question
Hour affords members an opportunity to raise pressing issues
and thereby make the executive accountable to the Parliament.
Questions in Parliament are meant to seek information as well
as fix accountability. What are the issues being discussed?
Which parties are raising these questions? Will these questions
impact policies and programmes? Is there a consistent lobby
for child rights? How are the issues identified? On what sources
of information do parliamentarians base their questions? How
pertinent are the questions? It is not enough to raise a question
— what is asked and how that is worded is equally important.
Thepresentbooklet“SaysaChild…WhoSpeaksforMyRights?”
— Parliament in Budget Session 2005, is the latest in the series
where we have analysed the Budget Session of Parliament
from a child rights perspective. The special emphasis this
time around is on financial issues related to the programmes
and schemes for the children of India. We have also analysed
the reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committees of the
following Ministries:
MinistryofHumanResourceandDevelopment(thiscommittee
also covers Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports);
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (this committee
also covers Ministry of Tribal Affairs);
Ministry of Labour and Employment; and
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
This analysis is over and above the analysis of questions and
answers, and debates and motions in the Parliament.
This booklet is an answer to the need for research support, to
enable the legislature to effectively monitor the executive vis-
à-vis their performance of duties and responsibilities towards
the children of India.
The endeavour is also to serve as a resource guide for society to
monitortheperformanceoftheirrepresentativesinParliament.
(Please see Box 1.1 for discussion on citizens’ access to National Budgetary
Process).
For convenience of analysis, we have divided the booklet into
four sections in a systematic manner:
Early Childhood Care and Development;
Child Health;
Child Education; and
Child Protection
Each section has been further divided into sub-sections
based on the relevant concerns and issues within. Since this
is an analysis of the Budget Session of Parliament, we have
especially analysed the issues related to the budget in all the
above mentioned sections. While the questions have been
Introduction
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HAQ: Centre for Child Rights
Box 1.1 Can citizens access the national budgetary process?
There is transparency in the debating stage. The financial
statement, apart from containing estimates of expenditure, also
states the ways and means to raise revenue:
a) An analysis of the actual receipts and expenditures of the
closing year and the causes of any surplus or deficit in relation to
such year;
b) An explanation of the economic policy and spending
programme of the government in the coming year and the
prospects of revenue.
After the budget is presented, there is a general discussion of the
statement as a whole in either House. This involves a review and
criticism of the administration and a valuation of the grievances
of the people. The parliamentary debate on the budget is televised
by state controlled television and private channels. The finance
ministry holds a media briefing after the announcement of the
budget in which copies of the Financial Statement are made
available to media persons and the salient features are thoroughly
discussed.Thisinformationisthenwidelydisseminated.Further,the
Finance Ministry’s Web site has detailed analysis and information
on the budget, which can be accessed by citizens who have access
to the Internet. It also needs to be stressed that in recent years
Parliament has devoted less time to budget discussions.
selected from the printed booklets available in the Parliament,
the answers have been downloaded from the Internet as well
as obtained from the Parliament. Although all questions have
been examined and listed in tables at the end of each chapter,
it is not possible to include the full texts of all the questions
and their answers. Under each sub-section some illustrative
questions with answers have been presented. These provide
important information and data on government commitments
As a result, debates on the floor of the House relating to the
budget are more formal. There have been years when more than
90 percent of the budgetary provisions have been passed without
discussion. In order to enhance the effectiveness of legislative
control of the budgetary proposals of the government, a system of
Department Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) was introduced
in 1993. These committees scrutinise the budgetary proposals
relating to their departments and submit a report to the House.
The Committees meet during the one-month recess after the
presentation of the budget. These reports form the basis of the
discussion on the Demands for Grants on the floor of the House.
Citizens have few opportunities to participate in budget
hearings or to interact with the Finance Ministry on budgetary
proposals. The Department Related Standing Committees
(DRSCs) affords very few opportunities for common citizens to
air their views on budget proposals.
The Finance Ministry’s Web site carries detailed information on
all itemised budget allocations and these can be easily accessed.
The print media also carries fairly detailed information on budget
allocations. However, the limitation with regard to restricted Web
access needs to be taken into account.
Reference: www.parliamentofindia.nic.in
and priorities, and implementation and impact of programmes.
InconsonancewiththeUNConventionontheRightsoftheChild
that India has ratified and, as defined in the Juvenile Justice
(CareandProtection)Act,2000,wehaveincludedallquestions,
debates & motions, and reports of Standing Committees of
Parliament pertaining to children up to the age of 18 years.

3
2A.1 Background
TheBudgetisthegovernment’smostimportanteconomicpolicy
tool and provides a comprehensive statement of the nation’s
priorities. As a representative of the people, Parliament is
the appropriate place to ensure that the budget optimises
the nation’s needs with available resources. Parliamentary
control over public finances is the main axis of public financial
administration around which the public accountability
system revolves. Parliament sets targets of public financial
management and monitors the performance of government in
these areas. The matter under the scanner, is the question as
to what extent parliamentary control over the public finance, in
theory and practice, is effective for improvement in the quality
of public investment and accountability of the executive.
Parliamentary control over public money is the central point
in public financial administration and is the key to the public
accountabilitysystem.Parliamentsetsgoalsforpublicfinancial
management and watches performance of government in these
areas. At issue, is the question whether parliamentary control
overthepublicpurseiseffectiveforimprovementinthequality
of public investment and accountability of the executive?
Control of legislature over executive in the budget process is
ensuredthroughaseriesoftechniques(goalsetting,restrictions
and reporting). This ensures that expenditure remains within
thegrantsandthefinancialactionsofgovernmentareaccording
to fiscal policies and objectives approved by the Parliament.
Parliamentarymonitoringofpublicfinanceisalsoaninstrument
ofaccountabilityatthehighestlevelofgovernment.Parliament
of India is a body of elected (a small per cent are nominated)
representatives of the people of India. Accountability of
government to Parliament is an essential obligation to the
peopleofIndia.Parliamentactsonbehalfofpeopleandobtains
information from the executive, which is obliged to provide the
same. The Budget is the instrument through which the goals
set are approved by Parliament. Against this, the executive
provides information regarding performance in the form of
accounts and other performance reports.
This accountability process is further strengthened by
audit, which does objective and independent analysis of the
performance and reports on such matters to the Parliament.
Parliament uses audit reports to keep government accountable
by demanding improvement in performance.
2A.2 Integrated process of presentation and
approval of Budget in the Parliament 1
The process of discussion of Money Bills, and associated
legislative procedures, has been dealt with extensively in
the Constitution2
. The process begins with the presentation
of the Annual Financial Statement by the Government before
both the Houses of Parliament as laid down in Article 112. This
is a statement of estimated receipts and expenditure for the
year. The estimate of expenditure must show separately the
expenditure to be:
(a) Charged on the Consolidated Fund of India; and
(b) Other expenditure
The expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India,
as mandated by the Constitution of India itself, requires no
grant from the Lok Sabha. It consists mainly of the salaries and
allowances to constitutional functionaries like the President,
Vice-President, Speaker, Judges of the Supreme Court and High
Courtsandsoon.Theseareofficerswhofunctionindependently
of the Government, and their salaries and emoluments etc. are
protected by the Constitution. The expenditure on these is not
dependent on a grant by the House though a discussion in the
House on it is not prohibited (See Box 2A.1).
All other expenditure shown in the estimates presented to
Parliament, and actually referred to in Article 112 as “other
expenditure” is subject to the grant of the House. Article 113
provides that the estimates relating to “other expenditure” hall
be submitted in the form of demands for grants to the House of
the People. The House of the People shall have power to assent,
ortorefusetoassenttoanydemand,ortoassenttoanydemand
Box 2A.1: Scope of financial control by the Parliament over
disbursements
Since charged disbursements are not subject to vote by Parliament,
effectively, the scope of financial control by Parliament is limited to
about 30 per cent of the total disbursements in the civil ministries.
However,viewedagainstthebackgroundofthetotaldisbursements
from the CFI (gross – Rs. 801228 crore), the percentage of
charged disbursements was 59 per cent (Rs. 474010 crore). If the
disbursement on salary and allowances, which is largely inflexible,
is also added to it, about 25 per cent of the total disbursement of
the Consolidated Fund of India is effectively subject to the vote of
Parliament.
Source: Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, No. 1 of 2003,
Accounts of the Union Government
1. This section is based on a paper titled Lawless withdrawals from public funds: Cocking a snook at Parliament by Professor P.K. Tripathi (2001) 1 SCC (Jour) 1
2. See Articles 112 to 117.
Special Feature Parliamentary Control over Public Money in India
2A The Theory
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subject to a reduction of the amount specified therein. Since
the “grant” is the essential instrument for making democratic
controleffectiveovertheGovernmentsomesignificantfeatures
of the “grant” process may be carefully noted (See Box 2A.2).
Proceeding now from the estimates of receipts and expenditure
for the year, presented in the form of the “annual financial
statement” to both Houses of ther Parliament as stated in
Article 112, and the presentation of demands before the House
of People and the making of grants by the House as stated in
Article 113, we come to the final stage of the appropriations in
Article 114.
Clause (1) of Article 114 of the Constitution provides that, “As
soon as may be after the grants under Article 113 have been
made by the House of the People, there shall be introduced
a Bill to provide for the appropriation out of the Consolidated
Fund of India of all moneys required to meet-
(a) The grants so made by the House of the People; and
(b) The expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of
India but not exceeding in any case the amount shown in the
statement previously laid before Parliament.”
Clause (2) of Article 114 prohibits any amendment being
proposed to the Bill that will have the effect of “varying the
amount or altering the destination of any grant” made under
Article 113 or “varying the amount of any expenditure charged
on the Consolidated Fund of India”.
Clause (2) of Article 114 thus makes it clear that the “grants”
as made by the Lok Sabha under Article 113 are the final and
the inviolable word on appropriation and withdrawals of money
from the Consolidated Fund of India. The legislative act of
introducing the Bill for enacting a law for appropriations out of
the Consolidated Fund of India is a mere matter of completing
the formality of giving the grants made by the House of the
People a statutory status.
It will be noted that even the House of the People, sitting as
one of the legislative chambers of Parliament under Article 114
has no power to tinker with the grants made by the same House
in its role as the guardian and trustee of the tax payers’ money
under Article 113.
It will also be noted that the laying of the estimated receipts
and expenditure for the year before both the Houses of
Parliament under Article 112, the making of grants by the House
of the People under Article 113, the presenting of the Bill and
enacting the law for the appropriation out of the Consolidated
Fund of India of all moneys required to meet “the grants so
made” as well as the “expenditure charged” on the Fund, all
constitute an integrated process culminating in the passage of
anActofParliamentauthorisingtheappropriationofmoneyout
of the Consolidated Fund. The Bill for enacting this law cannot
be introduced in Parliament unless the grants have been made,
and the grants cannot be made unless the estimates of receipts
and expenditure have been laid before both the Houses of
Parliament and unless the estimates relating to “other
expenditure” have been “submitted in the form of demands for
grants to the House of the People”.
2A.3 Operational framework of Parliamentary
control 3
Budget or Annual Financial statement is the central focus
of legislative financial control process. These controls are
executed through the control over Demands for Grants (public
expenditure) and raising of taxes. In the matter of raising of
resourcesthroughtaxes,Constitutionpermitsimpositionofany
tax solely with the authority of law. Thus Parliament is the sole
authority for imposition of tax. Union Government can borrow
or raise loans on the security of the Consolidated Fund of India
and Parliament has the power to fix limits of such borrowings.
a) Passing of budget
Themacroeconomicpolicy,asreflectedintheBudgetproposals,
cover the plan priorities approved by the National Development
Council and suggested by the Planning Commission, transfer of
non-plan grants recommended by the Finance Commission and
other non-plan expenditure proposed by the government.
Demands are presented in the form of Grants for various
2A.2: Demands for Grants
Grants are considered and assented to only by the House of the
People, acting alone and independently, and not by Parliament,
which consists of both the Houses. The House of People functions
here as the tax payers’ representative to concede or not to concede
the Government’s request for his money required for rendering the
proposed services for him. He can only be taxed to the extent he
agrees through his representatives to be taxed. The House does not
function in the grant-making process as a part of the law-making
body that is Parliament. That role it will perform, separately, only
after the grants have been made.
The House of the People does not entertain the demand for just one
lump sum to be granted to the Government for their requirements.
The Government has to make “demands”, i.e., a separate
demand for each specific service, and receives a separate grant
for each such service. The sum granted for one service cannot
be transferred to another service even if there is a surplus left in
one and a deficit in another; the surplus will remain unspent with
the Consolidated Fund of India, and will lapse at the end of the
financial year for which it was granted; and to obtain funds for
meeting the deficit in the other service, supplementary demand
will have to be made and a supplementary grant obtained from
the House of the People.
The point is that the grants process is an instrument of tight
financial control over government spending. It is the bedrock on
which the democratic functioning of Government rests.
Finally, it goes without saying that the Government cannot ask for,
and will not be granted any loose money to be kept at its disposal
for meeting the expenses of any unspecified service, or of any
service over and above the grant already made for it. Granting
such loose or floating money will defeat the entire purpose of the
grant-making process, namely, of keeping the Government under
a tight leash in the hands of the people, by requiring it to approach
them with a specific demand for every specific need for money.
Every time it needs money in any amount large or small, for any
activity already approved or yet to be approved the Government
must go through the grant-making process.
3. P. K. Mukhopadhyay, Parliamentary Control over Public Purse in India

5
departments, in a summary form, by the Finance department.
Subsequently the administrative departments present Detailed
Demands for Grants.
Under the demand for grants, amounts are grouped under
‘Revenue’ section and ‘Capital’ section and also under ‘Charged’
and ‘Voted’. Each grant also shows provisions under plan and
non-plan for each major head of accounts. Parliamentary
scrutiny of Budget process involves the following stages:
(i) After presentation of Budget a general debate over the
budget proposals takes place. At this stage only general points
are raised. Oftentimes, the debate moves around the concern
over taxation proposals.
(ii) After this, Parliament is adjourned to facilitate the
scrutiny of the Grants and taxation proposals through the
DRSC who examine the Detailed Demands for Grants and the
functioning of the selected schemes.
(iii) Voting for the grants takes places after discussions.
(iv) Passing of the Appropriation Bill provides one more
opportunity to discuss the policy and other matters but the
amounts already approved by the Parliament cannot be
disturbed.
With the passing of the Finance Act and Appropriation Act, the
pre appropriation control process comes to a formal end.
b) Execution of budget
After the passing of the Appropriation Act and Finance Act,
amounts under each Grant are placed at the disposal of the
administrative departments for execution of budgetary
proposals.
There is no formal control of Parliament over the execution of
the Budget. However, the mechanism of ‘questions’ raised by
the members to obtain information on the ongoing activities,
provides opportunity for the Parliament to intervene (if
necessary) in any matter including financial and fiscal
administration.
OthermechanismswhichParliamentusestoensurethatmoneys
granted are not spent on purposes not approved, include the
passing of:
Supplementary grants
Re-appropriation
Token grants
Power of the executive to appropriate funds from ‘revenue’
to ‘capital’ or ‘charged’ to ‘voted’ or vice versa is restricted
and fresh approval of legislature is necessary when such
appropriations are needed.
c) Ex-post control
Arguablytherecouldbenocontrolafterthebudgetarygrantsare
spent. The mechanism of regularisation of excess expenditure
over grants provides opportunity to look into the reasons for
excess and thus enforce accountability for the same.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the basis of reports
of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) examines
the excess over the budgetary grants, which come up for ex-
post facto approval of Parliament. Based on the Committee’s
recommendation, Parliament regularises such excess.
CAG audits and reports on Appropriation Accounts. It also
provides comprehensive reports on the financial and fiscal
management of the Government alongwith performance of
development programmes. These reports are examined by the
PAC to assess the performance of the Government. This is a
very detailed accountability exercise through examination of
officers of the departments and agencies and verification of
theirwrittenrepresentations.PACsubmitsitsrecommendations
to Parliament and also reports on the action taken on these
recommendations.
2A.4 Parliamentary Committees 4
While the Parliamentary controls are defined in the
Constitution, the operation of controls is ensured through
Committees established by Parliamentary Rules. These
Committees are Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Committee
on Public Undertaking (COPU), Estimates Committee (EC)
and Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSC).
Railway Convention Committee and Estimate Committee are not
substantively involved in the financial control area and hence
their activities are not reviewed in this study.
Financial Committees at a glance
Committee on Public Accounts
Constituted under Rule No. 308 of the Rules of Procedure and
conduct of business in Lok Sabha.
Total No. of members - 22
Term of office – One year
Functions
Examines the Appropriation Accounts and Annual Finance
Accounts.
Examines the Report of CAG of India on these accounts and
other matters.
Examines the expenditure by various ministries /
departments and accounts of autonomous bodies.
Examines various aspects of tax administration.
Ascertains that Government spent money within the scope
of the demand.
Functions of the Committee extend “beyond the formality
of expenditure to its wisdom, faithfulness, and economy”.
Examines and reports on money spent in excess of the
4. P. K. Mukhopadhyay , Parliamentary Control over Public Purse in India

6
amount granted by the House for regularisation.
Can take up suo moto subjects not covered in CAG’s Report.
Ministers not called before the Committee.
Committee on Public undertaking
Constituted under Rule No. 312 A of Rules of Procedure and
conduct of business in Lok Sabha.
Total number of members –22
Term of office –Not to exceed one year
Functions
ExaminesthereportsandaccountsofthePublicUndertakings
and Reports of CAG of India.
Examines whether the affairs of Public Undertakings are
beingmanagedinaccordancewithsoundbusinessprinciples
and prudent commercial practices.
Not to examines matters of major Government policy as
distinct from business or commercial functions of Public
undertakings or matters of day-to-day administration.
Ministers not called before the Committee.
Railway Convention Committee
Ad-hoc Parliamentary Committee
Total no of members – 18
Term of office – Committee becomes functus officio after
presenting its final report on rate of dividend.
Functions
Reviews the rate of dividend payable by Railways to the
General Revenue.
Suggests level of appropriations to be made to various funds
of Railways.
Reports on subjects, which have a bearing on the working of
Railways and Railway Finance
Committee on Estimates
Constituted under – Rule 310 of Procedure and conduct of
Business of Lok Sabha.
Total No. of members –30
Term of office — Not to exceed one year
Functions
Reports on what economics, improvements in organisation,
efficiency or administrative reforms, consistent with the
policy underlying the estimate may be effected.
Suggests alternative policies in order to bring about
efficiency and economy in administration.
Examines whether the money is well laid out within the
limits of policy implied in the estimates.
Suggests the form in which estimates shall be presented to
Parliament
Departmentally Related Standing Committee
Constituted under Rule 331C to 331N of the Rules of Procedure
and conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
Started in — 1993
Total No. of Committees –17
Total No. of members - 45 (Loksabha-30, Rajya Sabha 15) in
each committee.
Term of office — One year
Functions
ConsidersandreportonDemandforGrantsfortheconcerned
ministries. No cut motion to be suggested.
Examines and reports on Bills referred to the Committee.
Considers Annual Report on Ministries /Departments.
Considers national basic long-term policy documents, if
referred to.
Not to consider matters of day-to-day administration and
matterwhichareunderconsiderationbyotherParliamentary
Committees.

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2B.1 Background
Of late, Parliament is spending less time on the critical matter
of the budget. Instead, Parliament is increasingly devoting
more time to issues that suit vote bank politics and are catchy
in the eyes of the media.
Sessions in Parliament have increasingly been occupied more
by confrontation than by debate. Consequently, the role of
Parliament in providing inputs to policy through discussions
on the financial proposals of the government has been
considerablyreduced.Membersdonothaveresearchassistance
and are increasingly driven by political considerations of their
constituencies.
In view of this trend, Parliament decided to set up Standing
Committees for most ministries in 1993. The objective was to
provide an opportunity for detailed discussions of financial
proposals as also to give Members of Parliament an occasion
to give more considered opinions on the policy issues. The
committees were designed to be a mechanism to provide
meaningful dialogue between government and Members of
Parliament. A system was established to enable legislators to
consider matters of a technical nature, that Parliament as a
whole, could not take time to discuss. Continuous legislative
oversight would ostensibly be inherent in a setting where
there was a constant turnover as committees could avail the
testimony of expert witnesses, initiate studies, issue reports,
and examine draft legislation as a prelude to legislative action
or postponement.5
2B.2 Need of Research back up for the
Parliamentarians
Sessions of the Standing Committees are closed to the public
and only the Secretaries (civil servants heading the ministries)
are required to appear. Consequently, more often than not,
the busy Cabinet Ministers see no reason to participate in
committee activities.
Since the bureaucrats are not confirmed by the legislature and
enjoy permanency of tenure through constitutional provisions,
the Secretaries who appear are not directly accountable to
the parliamentary system. Legislators, unable to fall back
on alternative sources of ideas or policy are overwhelmed by
arguments put forward by bureaucrats. Consequently, the
committees have not been able to perform the envisaged role
in policy making.
The responsibility of the legislature does not stop at approving
financialoutlaysatthestartofthefiscalyear.Itisalsoimportant
for the legislature to examine, for the past fiscal year (aided
by audit reports prepared by the CAG), whether public money
was spent according to its intentions and whether there was
any waste, fraud or misuse. The work of the PAC and the COPU
relies on audit reports to examine this part of the governmental
activity, and these committees have always been considered as
important pillars of democracy and its watchdogs. The financial
irregularities that the CAG points out catch the attention
neither of the parliamentarians nor of the media. An important
bottleneckforMP’sintakingcognisanceofpolicyideascoming
Box 2B.1: Budget passed without discussion
During the period 1985 to 1995, discussions on the financial
approvals of only a few ministries (seven to be specific), have been
taken up. The Demands for Grants for as many as 11 ministries were
not taken up for detailed discussion even once. Most of the time
more than 85% of the Budget was passed without any discussion.
Source: Shastri Sandeep, 1998, Department Related Standing Committees
in the Indian parliament: An Assessment The Indian Journal of Public
Administration xliv, 2, April-June 184-200
5. Rubinoff Arthur G 1996 India’s New Subject-Based Parliamentary Committees Asian Survey xxxvi, 7,July 723-738
Box 2B.2: Resources for research available to the
Parliamentarians
Rubinoff(1996)interviewedalargenumberofParliamentarianswho
felt that the resources at their disposal to perform their tasks were
inadequate compared to those available to the executive branch.
For the most part, the inadequate time the new committees have
had to prepare in-depth studies has led to perfunctory reports not
take seriously by the government or the media. Another significant
issue pointed out by Rubinoff (1996) is that there is no incentive for
the ministers to take the new committees seriously, as long as they
do not have to testify before them.
Box 2B.3: Department Related Standing Committees
In recent years Parliament has devoted less time to budget
discussion. As a result, debates on the floor of the House relating
to the budget are more formal. There have been years when more
than 90 percent of the budgetary provisions have been passed
without discussion. In order to enhance the effectiveness of
legislative control of the budgetary proposals of the government,
a system of Department Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) was
introduced in 1993. These committees scrutinize the budgetary
proposals relating to their departments and submit a report to the
House. The Committees meet during the one-month recess after
the presentation of the budget. These reports form the basis of the
discussion on the demands for grants on the floor of the House.
Special Feature Parliamentary Control over Public Money in India
2B The Practice
2

8
from diverse sources, is the fact that there is no provision for
research staff to give them support in terms of identifying
important issues. Only those issues that are politically volatile
and visible tend to catch their attention. This lack of expertise
available to the MP’s has affected the working of the standing
committee system, which was adpted in 1993
AmongpoliticalpartiesinIndia,thetraditionofstrongresearch
cells to support the legislative activities of representatives is
weak.Parliamenthasarudimentarystaffthatcancollectrelevant
data or refer to important sources. There is a well-equipped
library but the actual research or drawing policy implications
from data available has to be done by MPs themselves. Not
many are inclined to do so and most do not have the capability
even if they may have the inclination. The result is that these
committeesfallshortoftherolethatCongressionalcommittees
play in US even though they are modeled after them. The
tendency to pick up politically visible issues or those that will
find prominent media coverage becomes strong. The result
is that the role of Parliament as a body seeking to influence
government policy on the basis of it representing public
opinion has suffered considerably. The representatives also do
not come from a background that reflects these urges.
It is important to point out that political parties also do not
prepare legislators for this policy role. Parties do not have
research organisation capable of framing alternative points
of view. It is left to individuals to search for opinions from
professionals and academics. Most of such inputs are ad hoc in
nature and are generated only through personal volition.
Unfortunately, members of Parliament have rarely demanded
research support. The more committed among them use the
well-equipped parliamentary library or avail of the services of
its professional staff. Another reason why parliamentarians do
not demand research support is that they do not consider their
roleasalawmakerasveryimportant.Theconstituencydemands
aresostrongthattheycanignorethemonlyattheperiloflosing
next elections. The constituency sees its MP as an intermediary
sorting out all kinds of difficulties between the constituents
and authorities providing those services. These may range from
municipal problems, to getting employment, or even helping
jump the queue in getting air and rail tickets. As Surya Prakash6
(1995:50) says “The MP may be an acknowledged authority on
constitutional law, foreign relations or defense, but this will
hardly please his constituents. Clogged drains and bad roads
will, in all probability decide his fate.”
2B.3 Parliament in the Budget Session 2005
Budget session 2005, of Parliament extended from 26 February
to 13 May 2005. It had 78 working days and the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) boycotted it for 17 days.
The total number of questions raised in the Budget Session of
the Parliament was 14913 (8035 in Lok Sabha and 6878 in Rajya
Sabha). Of these only 423 (2.84 per cent) were child related
(151 in Lok Sabha and 272 in Rajya Sabha). The percentage of
child related questions has decreased in comparison to the
previous session (Winter Session), which itself was meagre 3
per cent. Out of all 423 questions related to children only 52
were Starred questions (24 in Lok Sabha and 28 in Rajya Sabha)
See Annexure 3 for an explanatory note on starred and unstarred questions.
Since the Budget Session of the Parliament is held primarily to
transact the financial business of the Government of India, it is
interesting to see how many questions asked on the floor of the
house were related to the same.
Out of the total 423 child related questions asked only 20.33%
(86) were concerned with financial issues. See table 2B.2.
In the Lok Sabha only 151 questions related to children were
raised. Compared to this 272 questions related to children were
raised in the Rajya Sabha, even though the working hours in Lok
Sabha were more than those in Rajya Sabha.
A total of 86 (20.33 per cent) questions related to finance and
allocation on programmes/schemes related to children were
raised.Thisis20.33percentoftotalchildrenrelatedquestions.
Of these 75 were for Child Education, 9 for ECCD and 2 for Child
Protection. It is really disappointing that not a single question
was raised about the financial allocation for Child Health.
Not only this, Parliamentarians took only marginal interest in
discussions on the demands for grants of various ministries.
In Budget Session 2005, Parliamentarians raised issues of Child
Death Rate, Infant Mortality Rate, Infant Maternal Mortality
Rate, Neo Natal Death and Mortality Rate of the Girl Child.
The answers from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
clearly show that India is lagging far behind on all major health
indicators. India has 20 per cent of the world’s child population
of which 47 per cent are malnourished. About 1.1 million babies
in India die before the age of 28 days. According to WHO, the
major causes of deaths among children less than 5 years of age
areacuterespiratoryinfections(19%),diarrhoea(18%)malaria
(8%), measles (4%), HIV/AIDS (3%), and neo-natal conditions
37% (mainly pre-term birth asphyxia and infections). Sadly,
despite this, only 19 questions related to Child Health were
raised during the whole session.
We hope that parliamentarians, having raised these issues
will continue to follow up on them as well. Hopefully they will
also call the attention of the House and seek answers from
Ministers through questions on the financial requirements of
Child health.
6. Surya Prakash A 1995 What Ails India Parliament An Exhaustive Diagnosis Indus, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers India New Delhi
Box 2B.4: Demands for Grants Voted without Discussion
Demand for Grants of the Ministries of Agriculture, Rural
Development, Home Affairs and Science and Technology, were
voted by the Lok Sabha after discussion. Demands for Grants of
all the other ministries were voted without any discussion. As
discussed earlier, the system of Department Related Parliamentary
Standing Committees was introduced in 1993, to cater to this
problem of Demand for Grants being voted without discussion
on the ﬂoor of the House. Please refer to Annexure 2 for the list
of all the reports of ﬁnance related committees and Department
Related Parliamentary Standing Committees related to children.

9
Questions on Education Cess and its allocation raise the hope
that Parliamentarians are concerned about public money and
its judicious use. A total of eight questions were related to
Education Cess but in reply none of the answers could clearly
define the mechanism of allocation and disbursement of the
cess.
2B.4 Bills, Debates and Motions
IntheWinterSession,therewere,inall,57debates/discussions
in both houses of Parliament taken together. Of these 39 were
in the Lok Sabha and 18 in the Rajya Sabha.
Broadly, their break-up is:
5 discussions took place under Rule 193 of Lok Sabha and 4
in Rajya Sabha.
Discussions on the official motions/resolution were 19 in
Lok Sabha and 9 in Rajya Sabha.
A total of 6 half hour discussions took place in Parliament (2
in Lok Sabha and 4 in Rajya Sabha).
The total no. of Calling Attention motions were 14 (13 in Lok
Sabha and 1 in Rajya Sabha).
During the Budget Session a total of 35 Bills (26 in Lok Sabha
and 9 in Rajya Sabha) were introduced. The total number of
Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament during the Session
was 26 but only one bill “The Commissions for Protection of
Child Rights Bill, 2005” was related to child issues.
Box 2B.5: IMS Act
Shri Janardana Reddy had raised a question (LSUSQ 1534) in the
Lok Sabha regarding the repeal of infant milk substitute (IMS).
Answering the question, Shri Subodh Kant Sahai Minister of State
(MOS) in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, had replied
that a group of ministers are looking into the matter. A campaign
against repeal of IMS act was started by child rights organisations.
The success of the campaign forced the government to retrace its
steps on 5 April 2005. This was indeed, a great morale booster for
all those working for the rights of children.
Table 2B.1: Parliament in the Budget Session, 2005
House Total No. of No. of Actual No. of Time lost due to No. of Days NDA Total Total Child Per cent of
Work Days sittings working hours adjournment/ boycotted Question focussed Child
(Hours - Minutes) interruption asked question focussed
of house questions
(Hrs – Mins)
Lok Sabha 78 38 212-16 29-43 17 8035 151 1.87
(27 Apr – 13 May)
Rajya Sabha 78 38 174-47 34-02 17 6878 272 3.96
(27 Apr – 13 May)
Table 2B.2: Child Focused Parliament Questions in the Budget Session 2005-06
House Category of ECCD Health Education Protection Total Questions
question (Category wise)
Budget Others Budget Others Budget Others Budget Others Budget Other
related related related related related Questions
Lok Sabha Starred 0 0 0 2 4 16 0 2 4 20
Unstarred 2 13 0 2 19 57 1 33 22 105
Rajya Sabha Starred 0 4 0 2 6 7 0 9 6 22
Unstarred 7 19 0 13 46 109 1 49 54 190
Total Questions 9 36 0 19 75 189 2 93 86 337
(Sector-wise)
Total Questions 45 19 264 95 423
asked
Percentage of 20 0 28.4 2.1 20.33
Budget related
Questions

10
Table 2B.4: Child Friendly Parliamentarians in the Budget Session 2005
Sl. No. Member of Parliament No. of questions Pol. Party
asked
1 Santosh Bagrodia 10 INC
2 Ravi Shanker Prasad 9 BJP
3 Ambika Soni 9 INC
4 Harish Rawat 8 INC
5 Abu Asim Azmi 7 SP
6 Datta Meghe 7 NCP
Table 2B.5: Top 3 Parliamentarian Who Asked Questions Related to
Budget and Financial Resources
Top 3 Member of Parliament No. of questions Pol. Party
asked
1 Ravi Shanker Prasad 5 BJP
2 Murli Manohar Joshi 4 BJP
2 Raj Mohinder Singh Majitha 4 BJP
3 Abu Asim Azmi 3 SP
3 Asaduddin Owaisi 3 AIMIM
3 Janardana Poojary 3 INC
3 Rama Mohan Rao 3 TDP
Table 2B.3: Child Friendly Political Parties
Sl. No Political Party No. of questions Budget related
asked Questions
1 Indian National Congress 164 29
2 Bharatiya Janata Party 110 23
3 Samajwadi Party 42 7
4 Telugu Desam Party 37 8
5 Biju Janata Dal 25 4
6 AIADMK 25 5
7 Shiv Sena 24 6
8 Communist Party of India (Marxist) 17 2
9 RJD 17 0
10 RSP 15 3

11
Table 2B.6: Issues Raised by Child Friendly Parliamentarians
Sl. No MP Pol. Party Ref.No. Date Ministry Subject Sector
1 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSSQ 437 25 Apr HRD Objectives of the ICDS Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)
2 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSUSQ 5057 12 May PM Self-Employment opportunities for girls Child Protection
3 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSUSQ 5519 13 May H&FW Use of harmful chemicals for toy making Child Health
4 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSUSQ 2048 21 Mar HRD Right to education Child Education
5 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSUSQ 2648 18 Apr HRD Objectives of NCERT Child Education
6 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSSQ 421 25 Apr HRD Management of Kendriya Vidyalayas Child Education
7 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSUSQ 2649 18 Apr HRD Kendriya Vidyalaya Buildings Child Education
8 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSUSQ 2647 18 Apr HRD Stationery shops in central schools Child Education
9 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSSQ 81 7 March HRD Sex tourism and drug abuse Child Protection
10 Santosh Bagrodia INC RSUSQ 636 7 March HRD Sex ratio Child Protection
11 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 647 7 Mar HRD Drop outs in schools Child Education
12 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 3282 25 Apr HRD Primary Schools Child Education
13 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 3319 25 Apr HRD Amount spent on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Child Education
14 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 4055 2 May HRD Increase of students in primary education sector Child Education
15 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 4828 9 May HRD Free compulsory education Child Education
16 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 4852 9 May HRD School of open learning Child Protection
17 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 1257 14 Mar HRD Drug abuse among school children Child Protection
18 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 2056 21 Mar HRD Shortage of secondary schools Child Education
19 Ravi Shanker Prasad BJP RSUSQ 2054 21 Mar HRD Expenditure on education Child Education
20 Ambika Soni INC RSSQ 437 25 Apr HRD Objectives of the ICDS (ECCD)
21 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 5057 12 May PM Self-Employment opportunities for girls Child Protection
22 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 5519 13 May H&FW Use of harmful chemicals for toy making Child Health
23 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 2049 21 Mar HRD Curriculum reforms in education bill Child Education
24 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 2648 18 Apr HRD Objectives of NCERT Child Education
25 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 3280 25 Apr HRD Committee for improvement of education Child Education
26 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 2649 18 Apr HRD Kendriya Vidyalaya Buildings Child Education
27 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 2647 18 Apr HRD Stationery shops in central schools Child Education
28 Ambika Soni INC RSUSQ 2651 18 Apr HRD Implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Child Education
29 Harish Rawat INC RSUSQ 5057 12 May PM Self-Employment opportunities for girls Child Protection
30 Harish Rawat INC RSUSQ 5519 13 May H&FW Use of harmful chemicals for toy making Child Health
31 Harish Rawat INC RSUSQ 2048 21 Mar HRD Right to education Child Education
32 Harish Rawat INC RSUSQ 2648 18 Apr HRD Objectives of NCERT Child Education
33 Harish Rawat INC RSUSQ 1276 14 Mar HRD New Kendriya Vidyalayas in backward areas Child Education
34 Harish Rawat INC RSUSQ 2649 18 Apr HRD Kendriya Vidyalaya Buildings Child Education
35 Harish Rawat INC RSUSQ 2647 18 Apr HRD Stationery shops in central schools Child Education
36 Harish Rawat INC RSSQ 103 9 Mar HA Increase in rape cases in country Child Protection
37 Abu Asim Azmi SP RSUSQ 1916 18 Mar FPI Regulation of infant foods ECCD
38 Abu Asim Azmi SP RSUSQ 1292 14 Mar HRD Shortage of teachers Child Education

12
Table 2B.6: Issues Raised by Child Friendly Parliamentarians (cont’d.)
Sl. No MP Pol. Party Ref.No. Date Ministry Subject Sector
39 Abu Asim Azmi SP RSUSQ 2051 21 Mar HRD Shortage of schools and teachers Child Education
40 Abu Asim Azmi SP RSSQ 628 5 May HRD Swimming pools in Kendriya Vidyalayas Child Education
41 Abu Asim Azmi SP RSUSQ 4045 2 May HRD NGOs engaged in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Child Education
42 Abu Asim Azmi SP RSUSQ 2033 21 Mar HRD NGOs engaged in basic and primary edu for girls Child Education
43 Abu Asim Azmi SP RSUSQ 1764 17 Mar L&E Child bonded labour Child Protection
44 Datta Meghe NCP RSUSQ 652 7 Mar HRD Survey on Malnutrition ECCD
45 Datta Meghe NCP RSUSQ 4848 9 May HRD Integration of culture education Child Education
46 Datta Meghe NCP RSUSQ 2688 18 Apr HRD Duplicate NCERT books Child Education
47 Datta Meghe NCP RSUSQ 4054 5 May HRD Unavailability of NCERT text books Child Education
48 Datta Meghe NCP RSUSQ 690 7 Mar HRD Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme Child Education
49 Datta Meghe NCP RSUSQ 2689 18 Apr HRD Child Marriages Child Protection
50 Datta Meghe NCP RSUSQ 374 3 Mar L&E National child labour project Child Protection

13
Early Childhood Care and Development
3.1 Early Childhood Care and Development in
Budget Session 2005 of the Parliament
The first few years of a child’s life are the most crucial, duing
which, cognitive and conative abilities of a child take shape.
India’s commitment to early childhood care and development
dates back to the Indian Constitution that recognised every
child’s right to development in Article 39 (f) and Article 45.
In 2001, elementary education became a fundamental right
(Article 21 A). Sadly children in the age group of 0 to 6 years
were left out of the ambit of the Article, thus denying the
young child the fundamental right to early childhood care
and development. However, ECCE (Early Childhood Care and
Education) was inserted under Directive Principles of State
Policy in Article 45.
Article 21 A ended up withdrawing, instead of providing, the
fundamental right of early childhood care and pre-school
education to children in the 0-6 age group. This had earlier
been guaranteed by the Supreme Court in the Unnikrishnan
judgement (1993). In the Unnikrishnan case, Justice Jeevan
Reddy read the Education Policy and at the same time upheld
the statement of Kuldip Singh in the Mohini Jain case. He said
that the Constitution provided for free universal education
up to 14 years of age. With the young child losing out on its
fundamental right through an Act of Parliament it is really sad
that the child has to struggle for care and attention, which is its
entitlement.
In the budget session of Parliament 2005, 45 questions (15 in
Lok Sabha and 30 in Rajya Sabha) were raised on the issue of
Early Childhood Care and Development. This is 10.63 per cent of
the total child related questions. Amongst these, the maximum
number of questions were on the status of ICDS and Anganwadi
Centres. Parliamentarians seemed to be concerned about the
status of implementation and lack of financial resources for
ICDS. Clarifications regarding more Anganwadi Centres and
appropriate allocation were sought but each time the answer
was the same – that allocation on ICDS has been doubled this
time.
The gap between the recommended and existing Anganwadi
centres were not clarified. Other than ICDS, questions on
Mother and Child Welfare, Infant Foods Substitutes Act, Mother
and Child Development scheme and existing Charter and Action
Plan for children were raised.
In an answer to a question put by Shri Tariq Anwar (INC), on
the issue of registration of birth, Shri Manikrao Hodlya Gavit,
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, admitted
that reports based on registration records are not received by
the Central Government from the states timely. The states of
Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have not sent the reports for
more than five years. To top it all, the minister admitted that
shortage of stationery has hampered registration work in some
states. This is sad as the right to a name and identity is the first
and the foremost right of a child. It is ensured through a proper
system of birth registration. Even this is not available to the
children of India.
National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) Surveys reveal
that the percentage of anaemic children was 66.9% in 2003
(RSUSQ 3276). In a survey of malnourished children conducted
by the Government of Maharashtra, out of a total of 768673
children surveyed, 8737 were placed in grade III and 1199
in grade IV (The grading was done through a methodology
where a higher grade was accorded to a child who was more
malnourished). The Government of India’s main programme for
catering to the supplementary nutrition needs of the children
is ICDS. It is criminal to leave the already meagre allocation
unutilised.
During 2003-04, approximately 22% of the money for World
Bank Assisted ICDS-II/JH/APER Projects remained unutilised.
Similiarly, 34% money (approx.) remained unutilised for World
Bank Assisted ICDS Training Programme – Project Udisha during
the same period (LSUSQ 1843).
It has been conclusively proven by pediatricians around the
world that breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for
children. The Government has plans to repeal/amend the Milk
Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation
of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 (IMS Act
1992) and replace it with a modern Food Safety and Standard
Act. A bill has already been formulated as is evident by the
statement of the Minister of State of the Ministry of Food
Processing Industries Shri Subodh Kant Sahai (Ref. LSUSQ 1534,
14 March 2005). In this, he said, “The objective of formulating
a modern Food Safety and Standard Bill 2005, is to do away
with the multiplicity of existing food laws and regulations and
enforcement agencies and to bring them under a single Act and
authority proposed to be set up under this Bill”.
Box 3.1: IMS Act, 1992 NOT Repealed
On 5 April 2005 the Group of Ministers headed by Shri Sharad
Pawar, met and decided NOT to repeal the Infant Milk Substitutes,
Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply
and Distribution) Act, 1992 (IMS Act) as amended in 2003, while
clearing the “Food Safety and Standards Bill 2005” for Cabinet
approval.
3

14
Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods
(Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act,
1992 (IMS Act 1992) is one of the Food Acts/Orders which are
proposed to be repealed/amended on the enactment of the
proposedbill.TheMinisterfurtheradded,“AGroupofMinisters
constituted by the Government to propose legislative and other
changes required for preparing a modern Integrated Food Law,
is presently considering the issue of the proposed repeal/
amendment of Food Acts/Orders, including IMS Act 1992.”
3.2 One Hundred Sixtieth Report of the
ParliamentaryStandingCommitteeonDemand
for Grants of the Department of Women and
Child Development
The Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry
of Human Resource Development is the main department
responsible for programmes and schemes for Early Childhood
Care and Development. It’s 160th report on Demand for Grants
2005-06 (Demand No. 59 of The Department of Women and
ChildDevelopment,MinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment),
was presented to the Rajya Sabha on 21 April 2005 and laid on
the table of Lok Sabha on 21 April 2005. In this, the department
has made some disturbing observations regarding funds
requirements and utilisation for child-specific programmes
and schemes. It has also commented on the performance of
programmes.
In its comment no. 2.4 the Committee says, “The Committee
expressesitsseriousconcernovermajorpartoftheexpenditure
being rushed through in the last quarter of every year. Such a
trend points towards some inherent drawbacks both, in the
system of flow of funds as well as in the delivery mechanism
adopted by the Department.”7
3.2.1 ICDS
Regarding allocation and utilisation of funds for ICDS, the
committee observes that during 2003-04 and 2004-05 funds
allocated to North Eastern (NE) states remain underutilized.
Budget Estimates (BE) provision of Rs. 214 crore during 2003-
04 for NE states had to be reduced to Rs. 196.68 crore at the
Revised Estimates (RE stage). Actual expenditure reported at
the end of the year was only Rs. 125.21 crore. During 2004-05
against BE provision of Rs. 214 crore, only Rs. 144.69 crore
couldbeutilisedupto28February2005.Itfurthersays,“Inview
of considerable enhancement in the provision for ICDS during
2005-06,theCommitteerecommendsthatoperationalisationof
ICDS projects/Anganwadi centres should be closely monitored
in NE states. (Comment No. 3.3)
The Supreme Court in its order dated 29 April 2004 had directed
thestatestooperationaliseallthesanctionedAWCs(Anganwadi
Centres) by 30 June 2004 to universalise ICDS. However,
according to the Committee even though 5418 projects have
become operational upto 31 December 2004, there is a wide
variation in the number of sanctioned and operational projects.
Out of the 234 projects yet to be sanctioned, 145 are in Bihar
and 52 in Jharkhand. The situation is more or less the same
in respect of AWCs. Major shortfall is in the following states
(Comment 3.5):
State Sanctioned AWCs Non-Operational AWCs
Bihar 60813 28766
J&K 11821 1694
Jharkhand 23078 7076
UP 106059 11379
As regards the disturbing feature of Acute Shortage of
Anganwadi Workers, the Committee notes that out of 23,265
sanctioned posts of supervisor, as many as 10,965 are vacant,
with the maximum number of vacancies being in Bihar and UP.
The Committee noted that the Eleventh Finance Commission
(EFC) note on this issue has been forwarded to the Planning
Commission and other ministries for their comments.
Comments of the Planning Commission are awaited. EFC note
will be subsequently sent to CCEA for final approval. It further
says, “The Committee is of the view that there should be more
focus on operationalising of ICDS projects and AWCs. Efforts
should be made at all levels — Central, State and District level to
operationaliseallsanctionedandproposedadditionalprojects/
AWCs.” (Comment No. 3.7)
There is also a requirement to review the existing population
norms for sanction of a Project and Anganwadi Centre and an
Inter-ministerial Task Force was set up for the purpose vide
order dated 13 September 2004. The task Force desired that
micro planning by the States was necessary for laying down
revisedpopulationnorms.Stateswere,accordingly,requested,
to suggest revision in norms and submit their requirement of
more AWCs/Mini AWCs. But so far only 12 States/UTs have
replied.
The Committee has also reiterated its earlier recommendation
that the norm of one Anganwadi Centre for 700 population in
tribal projects needs to be re-looked for revision in the case of
inaccessible areas. Instead of one AWC for 700 population, one
centreperhillock/clustershouldbethecriteriaforhillyordesert
areas like Manipur and Rajasthan. The same may be applied in
other States having similar geographic locations.(Comments
3.10 to 3.12)
National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has
done a “Rapid Facility Survey” of infrastructure at Anganwadi
Centres. The main findings of this survey covering nearly three
lakh Anganwadi Centres across the country are:
(a) More than 40% Anganwadi Centres across the country are
neither housed in ICDS building nor in rented building.
(b) More than 45% Anganwadi Centres have no toilet facility
and 40% have reported the availability of only urinal.
(c) 27% Anganwadi Centres do not have any drinking water
facility.
The Committee observes that the states, which were not
7
See the Report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India, No. 1 of 2003 for a detailed commentary on rush of disbursement in the closing month of the ﬁnancial year.

15
performing well with regard to ICDS, were mainly due to
inadequate infrastructure facilities and poor functioning of the
AnganwadiCentres.Itfurtherrecommends,“Forconstructionof
Anganwadicentre,provisionofdrinkingwateretc.feasibilityof
taking benefits from schemes of other Departments like Rural
Development, Panchayati Raj etc. could be explored. The funds
from MPLADS can also be utilised for this purpose.” (Comments
3.18 to 3.20)
Many child nutrition schemes are being implemented
simultaneously by different Department/Ministries. The
Committee has reiterated that different schemes of child
nutritionbeingimplementedbyvariousMinistries/Departments
as also those at State level need to be brought under one nodal
agency. This should have a special focus on tribal and remote
areas of the country. Since interdepartmental meetings for
setting nutrition goals and framing the strategy for achieving
the same do not seem to have led to any visible improvement
therefore, the Committee reiterates that the Department
mandated to look after the welfare of children and women has
to play a more pro-active role.(Comment No. 3.21)
The World Bank assisted ICDS Training Programme, which was
launched in April 1999, is a comprehensive training programme
having three components — regular training, innovative area
specific training and IEC etc. The project completed its normal
period of 5 years on 30 September 2004 and has since been
extended by the World Bank till 30 June 2005. A proposal to
further extend the project by 18 months is under consideration.
The utilisation of funds for this project is unsatisfactory to say
the least. Ninth Plan provision for training of ICDS functionaries
was Rs. 329.29 crores against which only Rs. 142.59 crores
could be utilised.
An enhanced provision of Rs. 462.26 crores has been made
in Tenth Plan. In this regard the Committee notes that during
the first three years of Tenth Plan, utilisation of funds has
not been optimum. Allocation proposed at the beginning
of the year had to be reduced at the RE stage and that too,
remained underutilised. During 2004-05, provision for training
programme was enhanced at the RE stage, but the pace of
utilisation failed to pick up as indicated in Table 3.1.
Table 3.2: Underachievement of job and refresher training under World Bank Assisted ICDS Projects
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Anganwadi Workers Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement
Job 55125 43646 115000 52450 85085 38782
Refresher 42000 41730 286738 55691 62880 71472
CDPOs/ACDPOs Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement
Job 325 208 780 528 1425 432
Refresher 400 341 1506 286 2443 139
Supervisor Target Achievement Target Achievement Target Achievement
Job 2025 1307 5940 2641 6250 1093
Refresher 2700 3070 6132 3036 7280 5161
Trend of underutilisation of funds is also reflected in the
achievement level of job training and refresher training for
targeted functionaries during the tenth Five-Year Plan of the
Government of India so far (See Table 3.2).
TheCommitteehasalsonotedthatsomeStates/UTsi.e.Madhya
Pradesh,Lakshdweep,Pondicherry,Manipur,HimachalPradesh
have yet to submit the Action Plan for training so far and has
apprehended a huge backlog of training in all these States/UTs.
It has said, “The Committee would like the Department to take
urgent steps for expediting the submission of action plan by
the States/UTs.”
As there is a proposal of increase of 1,86,168 AWCs, fresh
batchesofICDSfunctionarieshavetobetrained.TheCommittee
has therefore recommended that all out efforts be made by the
Department of Women and Child Development to implement
the training programme in a time bound manner.
3.2.2 Day Care Centres
The scheme of Day Care Centres is implemented by the Central
Social Welfare Board alongwith two national level voluntary
organisations — Indian Council for Child Welfare, New Delhi and
Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh, New Delhi. This scheme aims
toprovidedaycareservicesforchildren(0to5years)ofmainly
casual, migrant, agricultural and construction labourers. It
covers 12,470 crèches covering 3.11 lakh children.
The Committee noted that out of the allocation of Rs. 60 crore
for the scheme, a major portion lay underutilised in the first
three years of the plan period. In 2003-04, plan allocation of
Rs. 18.00 crore had to be reduced to Rs. 7.00 crore at the RE
stage and final expenditure at the end of the year was only Rs.
6.03 crores. During 2004-05, there was yet another increase
at the beginning of the year (Rs. 27.00 crore) which had to
drastically reduced to Rs. 15.92 crore and the figures upto 28
February 2005 showed an expenditure of only Rs. 10.49 crore.
The main reason for underutilisation of funds is the delay in
Table 3.1: Allocations and Utilisation of Funds for World Bank Assisted ICDS Projects (Rs Crore)
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
BE RE Actual BE RE Actual BE RE Actual
62 60 56.23 77 50 49.38 54 74 56.9

16
revision of the Scheme. This position has continued since the
beginning of the Tenth Plan. The Committee finds that only
progress made since then is that the proposal has received the
approval of the Minister and an EFC memo is under circulation.
Startingly, the Committee apprehends that the scheme would
continue to be at the revision stage in the last two years of the
Tenth Plan also (Comments 6.2 to 6.3).
The number of crèches continues to remain the same even as
there is enhancement in allocation of funds for the scheme
of day care centres. The Committee observed, “Enhancement
in allocated funds for the scheme was also meant for starting
more crèches” and further goes on to say, “The Committee is
not happy with the coverage of children as well as number of
crèches in the country.” The Committee has recommended that
necessary steps be taken to increase the number of crèches and
make them operational (Comment 6.4 and 6.5).
The Committee observed that a total amount of Rs. 18, 480 per
year per crèche is being extended to NGOs every year. With the
number of crèches remaining the same, variation in the level of
expenditure every year does not seem proper. The Committee
would like to be enlightened in this regard.
3.3 Policy Status
(a) Birth and Death registration records
[Ref. RSUSQ 240, 2 March 2005]
Shri Tariq Anwar (INC) asked:
(a) whether it is a fact that several States have not been able
to send birth and death registration records to the Centre for
the last several years;
(b) if yes, the details of such States;
(c) if so, the reasons therefor;
(d) whether the States are facing stationery problem; and
(e) the steps taken to provide the requisite stationery?
Shri Manikrao Hodlya Gavit, Minister of State in the
Ministry of Home Affairs answered:
(a), (b) & (c) The states are not required to send the birth
and death registration records. However, they are required
to provide Annual Statistical Report based on the registration
records to the Central Government. These Reports are not
being received from all the states timely. The states of Assam,
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are in arrears for more than five years.
The reasons, inter-alia, include lack of proper monitoring
at the state level, inadequate attention given by the state
administration, shortage of manpower, delay on the part of the
Registrars in submitting the report to the Chief Registrar, etc.
(d) & (e) The shortage of stationery has reportedly been
affecting the registration work in some of the states. The state
governmentsareresponsibletoprovidethestationeryrequired
for registration. The Office of the Registrar General, India has
been reviewing this and bringing it to the attention of the state
governments.
(b) Lack of Nutritional Food
[Ref. RSUSQ 3276, 25 April 2005]
Shri Pyarelal Khandelwal (BJP) asked:
(a) whether it is a fact that more than 70 per cent of poor
children, women and girls have been found anaemic due to lack
of nutritional elements in food in rural areas in the country;
(b) whether it is also a fact that no action has been taken in
this regard despite confirmation of the same in all the surveys
conducted by Government; and
(c) if not, the steps Government propose to take keeping in
view the seriousness of the situation?
Shrimati Kanti Singh, Minister of State in the
Ministry of Human Resource Development answered:
(a) As per the National Family Health Survey II (1998-99),
percentage of women (15-49 years) and children (under 3
years) suffering from Iron Deficiency Anaemia was 51.8 and
74.3 respectively. The National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau
(NNMB)Surveyshoweverrevealthattheprevalenceofanaemia
in pregnant women has reduced from 87.5% (1989) to 74.3%
(2003), and the percentage of anaemia in children (1-5 years)
was 66.9% in 2003.
(b) & (c) It would not be correct to say that no action has been
taken by the Government. The Government of India, in fact has
beenimplementingvariousprogrammesvizNationalNutritional
AnaemiaControlProgramme,theIntegratedChildDevelopment
ServicesScheme,Reproductive&ChildHealthProgramme,Mid-
Day Meals Scheme, Public Distribution System, Food for Work
and other poverty alleviation programmes, Food & Nutrition
Education etc. for providing food and nutrition security to its
people.
Besides, Micronutrient Malnutrition Control Projects are
also under implementation in certain parts of the States of
Box 3.2: Misutilisation/Underutilisation of Funds for Day Care
Centre Scheme
During the ﬁnancial year 2002-03, there has been a saving of Rs.
33.26 lakhs under Non-Plan and during the year 2003-04 there has
been a saving of Rs. 96.60 lakhs under Plan and Rs. 20.75 under
Non-Plan due to the fact that the implementing organisations
have already unspent balance available wit them out of the grants
released during the previous ﬁnancial years. The Committee has
expressed its dissatisfaction with the monitoring mechanism of
Department and said that the very fact that unspent balances are
available with the implementing agencies indicates that crèches
are not providing the services for which they are meant. The Com-
mittee has therefore desired that steps should be taken for removal
of constraints being faced in the implementation of this scheme by
regular monitoring and interaction between the State Boards and
the CSWB. It has also recommended that a special drive for settle-
ment of accounts should be initiated to stop misutilisation/unde-
rutilisation of funds (Comments 6.8 to 6.9).

17
West Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Moreover,
a ‘National Rural Health Mission’ has also been, recently,
launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
There are multiple causes for anaemia such as poor intake of
iron rich foods, prevalence of hookworm infestation, malaria,
other infections, poor hygiene and sanitation, inadequate
compliance under iron and folic acid supplementation
programme of the Government etc. As such, pace of reduction
in anaemia has not been as much as planned.
(c) Survey on Malnutrition
[Ref. RSUSQ 652, 7 March 2005]
Shri Datta Meghe (NCP) asked:
(a) whethertheIntegratedChildDevelopmentProject(ICDP)
conducted a survey in villages in Ramtek area of Vidarbha in
Maharashtra and found more than 50 severely malnourished
children in the tribal areas of Ramtek; if so, the details
thereof;
(b) whethersuchsurveyhasalsobeenconductedorproposed
to be conducted in other areas of the Vidarbha Region
of Maharashtra;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether any special aid has been provided in this regard;
and
(e) the measures taken or proposed to be taken to root out
malnutrition?
Shri Arjun Singh, Minister of Human Resource
Development answered:
(a) The Government of Maharashtra conducted a survey,
in January 2005, which found 52 Grade III and 4 Grade IV
malnourished children, out of 8246 children covered in
Ramtek ICDS Projects
(b) & (c) The details of survey conducted by the Government
of Maharashtra in five tribal districts viz. Thane, Amaravati,
Gadchiroli, Nasik and Nandurbar are given in Table 3.3.
(d) The State Government has reported that medical aid and
high protein ferox has been provided to all malnourished
children through voluntary organizations
(e) The Government of India has been implementing various
scheme/programmes to address the problem of malnutrition
which, interalia, include, Continued implementation and
expansion of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
Scheme; Nutrition Component of Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya
Yojana (PMGY); Pilot project in 51 districts, to provide free
food grains to undernourished adolescent girls and pregnant
& lactating mothers; Reproductive and Child Health (RCH)
Programme; National Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control
Programme; National Prophylaxis Programme Against
Blindness due to Vitamin-A; National Nutritional Anaemia
Control Programme; National Programme for Nutritional
Support to Primary Education; Targeted Public Distribution
System.
UndertheICDSScheme,theStatesareresponsibleforproviding
supplementary nutrition out of their resources. However, the
Central Government has proposed to provide 50%, cost of
supplementary nutrition to States/UTs from 2005-06.
Table 3.3: Report of Independent Survey & Gradation of the Children in the Age Group of 0-6 Years
District SI. No. ICDS Project Total No. of children Gradation Total No. of Children
surveyed (0-6 yrs) Graded
Normal Grade-I Grade-II Grade-Ill Grade-IV
Thane 1 Talasari 22096 6550 9528 5732 95 6 21911
2 Jawahar 39282 9748 15511 13401 399 64 39123
3 Mokhada 13199 2263 3788 4101 583 69 10804
4 Shahapur 33383 11000 11354 7304 356 44 30058
5 Mursad 19671 3212 6622 3912 139 10 13895
6 Paighar 39633 12245 16464 7999 129 12 36849
7 Dahanu 53673 11712 20135 16295 528 63 48733
8 Wada 23536 7024 6486 4368 142 25 18045
244473 63754 89888 63112 2371 293 219418
Amaravati 9 Dharni 23038 5769 8828 6203 487 49 21336
10 Chikhaldara 14165 4557 5578 3104 213 14 13466
37203 10326 14406 9307 700 63 34802

18
Table 3.3:Report of Independent Survey & Gradation of the Children in the Age Group of 0-6 Years (cont’d.)
District SI. No. ICDS Project Total No. of children Gradation Total No. of Children
surveyed (0-6 yrs) Graded
Normal Grade-I Grade-II Grade-Ill Grade-IV
Nandurbar 11 Nawapur 24514 8316 9740 5909 142 7 24614
12 Nandubar 32272 15550 12157 4429 114 22 32272
13 Shahada 41519 18127 14411 8605 328 48 41519
14 Taloda 18351 5513 7458 5047 300 33 18351
15 Akkalklwa 38840 8526 16384 13272 361 97 38640
16 Dhadgaon 29502 9294 10136 9340 693 139 29602
184998 65826 70286 46602 1938 346 184998
Gadchiroli 17 Etapalli 14865 3770 6067 4243 558 72 14710
18 Aheri 13310 4272 5272 2997 396 68 13005
19 Kurkheda 12591 4031 5347 2730 236 34 12378
20 Armori 13490 4441 5849 3014 172 14 13490
21 Chamorshi 22832 7386 9482 4888 396 49 22201
22 Dhanora 11210 3074 4797 2937 318 44 11170
23 Gadchiroli 8280 2224 3460 2079 257 22 8042
24 Sironcha 8170 2844 3335 1716 120 16 8031
104748 32042 43609 24604 2453 319 103027
Nasik 25 Dindori 31630 14883 12378 4479 81 9 31830
26 Harsul 9990 3408 3860 2451 230 41 9990
27 Igatpur 24366 9326 9554 5284 90 12 24266
28 Kaiwan 31278 12876 12143 6070 170 17 31276
29 Nasik 28746 13160 10827 4604 127 30 28748
30 Baglan 34292 12567 14837 5941 90 16 33451
31 Peint 12161 3266 4893 3598 106 13 11876
32 Surgana 24788 7031 9973 6958 381 40 24383
197251 76517 78465 39385 1275 178 195820
Grand Total 768673 248465 296654 183010 8737 1199 738065
(d) Repeal of the Infant Milk Substitutes
[Ref. LSUSQ 1534, 14 March 2005]
N. Janardhana Reddy (INC) asked:
(a) whether a proposal to repeal the Infant Milk Substitutes,
Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production,
Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 through a Modern Food
Safety and Standard Bill, 2005 is under consideration of the
Government;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor, and
(c) by when a final decision is likely to be taken in this
regard?
TheMinisterofStateoftheMinistryofFoodProcessing
Industries Shri Subodh Kant Sahai answered:
(a) to (c) The objective of formulating a modern Food Safety
and Standard Bill 2005, is to do away with the multiplicity of
existing food laws and regulations and enforcement agencies
and to bring them under single Act and authority proposed

19
to be set up under this Bill. Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding
Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply
and Distribution) Act, 1992 (IMS Act 1992) is one of the Food
Acts/Orders which are proposed to be repealed/amended on
the enactment of the proposed bill.
A Group of Ministers constituted by the Government to propose
legislative and other changes required for preparing a modern
Integrated Food Law, is presently considering the issue of the
proposed repeal/amendment of Food Acts/Orders, including
IMS Act 1992.
3.4 Physical/Financial Resources
(a) WB Assistance for Women and Child Development
[Ref. LSUSQ 1843, 15 March 2003]
Shri Adhir Chowdhury (INC) asked:
(a) thedetailsoffinancialassistancegivenbytheWorldBank
for women and children development schemes in the country
during each of the last three years, State-wise/scheme-wise;
(b) whether the funds granted by the World Bank for the
purpose has been fully utilized by the Government;
(c) if so, the details thereto, State-wise; and
(d) if not, the reasons therefor?
ShrimatiKantiSingh,MinisterofStateintheMinistry
of Human Resource Development answered:
(a) Department of Women and Child Development gets
financial assistance from World Bank for two schemes, details
of which are as under:
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)
During the last three years, World Bank assisted ICDS-II Project
in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, ICDS component of Andhra
Pradesh, Economic Restructuring (APER) Programme in Andhra
Pradesh and ICDS-III Project in Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Uttaranchal and also including
ICDS training component (UDISHA) throughout the country
have been under implementation. Financial assistance to these
Projects is as Shown in Table 3.4
Swa-Shakti
In the case of Swa-Shakti, the funds utilised are reimbursed by
the World Bank. The following grants were sanctioned to States
(Table 3.5).
(b), (c) & (d) State-wise details of funds released for World
Bank assisted ICDS Projects and Training of ICDS functionaries
(Udisha) are given in Table 3.6 and Table 3.7. Funds remaining
unutilised in a financial year are utilized in the subsequent
year.
Table 3.5: Utilised Funds of Swa-Shakti Reimbursed by the World Bank (Statewise) (Rs. lakhs)
Name of the State 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04
Bihar 34.00 130.00 75.00
Chhattisgarh 30.00 75.00 50.00
Gujarat 225.00 200.00 250.00
Haryana 65.50 200.00 20.00
Jharkhand 100.00 175.00 75.00
Karnataka 235.00 535.00 500.00
Madhya Pradesh 350.00 425.00 400.00
Uttar Pradesh 225.00 392.83 50.00
Uttaranchal 30.00 105.00 145.00
Total 1294.50 2237.83 1565.00
CPSU* 205.50 352.17 154.50
TOTAL 1500.00 2590.00 1719.50
* Central Project Support Unit.
Table 3.4: Financial Assistance Provided by the World Bank for ICDS – II, ICDS Component of APER and
ICDS - III (US $ Million)
Project 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04
ICDS - II 32.93 15.98 NIL
ICDS-APER Nil 38.34 17.58
ICDS - III 33.31 60.88 1.66
TOTAL 66.24 115.20 19.24

20
Table 3.6: World Bank Assisted ICDS-II/JH/APER Projects
Statement showing Project/State-wise and year- wise funds released & expenditure incurred during the last three years (Rs. Lakh)
SI. No. State 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 Total
Fund Expenditure Fund Expenditure Fund Expenditure Release Exdpenditure
Released incurred Released incurred Released incurred
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A ICDS- II Project (Ended on 30.9.2002)
1 Madhya Pradesh 6000.00 5161.00 7885.83 7401.50 0.00 0.00 13885.83 12562.50
2 Chhattisgarh 600.00 1910.65 3763.69 1331.07 0.00 0.00 4363.69 3241.72
3 Bihar 1000.00 2765.63 5251.20 2665.43 0.00 0.00 6251.20 5431.06
4 Jharkhand 400.00 1588.51 1432.25 520.01 0.00 0.00 1832.25 2108.52
5 Andhra Pradesh 5000.00 2515.28 4749.60 722.98 0.00 0.00 9749.60 3238.26
Sub-Total- I 13000.00 13941.07 23082.57 12640.99 0.00 0.00 36082.57 26582.06
B Original ICDS-III Project
1 Uttar Pradesh 2526.00 4206.09 4053.00 2231.55 4500.00 3937.98 11079.00 10375.62
2 Rajasthan 3500.00 3406.00 3355.00 3914.22 3200.00 3434.78 10055.00 10755.00
3 Maharashtra 0.00 2399.16 6124.00 5209.06 5200.00 4087.01 11324.00 11695.23
4 Kerala 2900.00 1801.44 426.00 2738.36 4000.00 2393.28 7326.00 6933.08
5 Tamil Nadu 0.00 569.86 0.00 1076.12 2000.00 559.40 2000.00 2205.38
Sub-Total - II 8926.00 12382.55 13958.00 15169.31 18900.00 14412.45 41784.00 41964.31
C Re-structured ICDS-III Project (1.10.2002 to 30.9.2004)
1 Madhya Pradesh 0.00 0.00 858.00 1495.70 7900.00 7642.30 8758.00 9138.00
2 Chhattisgarh 0.00 0.00 347.00 1070.00 3300.00 1037.50 3647.00 2107.50
3 Bihar 0.00 0.00 569.00 413.36 3600.00 4116.49 4169.00 4529.85
4 Jharkhand 0.00 0.00 196.00 526.03 1200.00 1122.31 1396.00 1648.34
5 Orissa 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1000.00 0.00 1000.00 0.00
6 Uttaranchal 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 500.00 0.00 500.00 0.00
D Model AWCs
1 Gujarat 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 600.00 0.00 600.00 0.00
2 West Bengal 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 737.00 0.00 737.00 0.00
3 Karnataka 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 500.00 0.00 500.00 0.00
4 Haryana 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 344.00 0.00 344.00 0.00
5 J&K 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 300.00 0.00 300.00 0.00
6 Punjab 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 469.00 0.00 469.00 0.00
Sub-total III 0.00 0.00 1970.00 3505.09 20450.00 13918.60 22420.00 17423.69
E ICDS-APER
Andhra Pradesh (*) 0.00 0.00 790.00 4136.40 1745.00 3751.90 2535.00 7888.30
Grand Total 21926.00 26323.62 39800.57 35451.79 41095.00 32082.95 102821.57 93858.36
Note:
1. Andhra Pradesh was included under ICDS-II Project till 30.9.2002. Thereafter, the state has been covered under ICDS- APER upto 31.3.2004.
2. Exp. in Jharkhand during 2003-04 is up to Feb 2004. Exp. in Chhattisgarh during 2003-04 is upto Sept. 2003. Exp. in Andhra Pradesh during 2003-04 is up to December 2003.

21
Table 3.7: World Bank Assisted ICDS Training Programme - Project UDISHA .Statement showing grant-in-aid released to States/UTs for implementation of Project
UDISHA (Rs. Lakhs)
SI. No. Name of the State 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004
Fund Released Expenditure incurred Fund Released Expenditure incurred Fund Released Expenditure incurred
1 Andhra Pradesh 950 575.07 780 1283.47 1026.78 731.52
2 Arunachal Pradesh 75 22,54 8 17.1
3 Assam 55 117.02 132.75 96.94 101.26 98
4 Bihar 78.77 116.99 110.65
5 Chhatisgarh 300 225.16 250 232.55 124 76.68
6 Goa 5 3.75 5 5.21 1.98 3.79
7 Gujarat 100 176 150 165.55 182.44 27.7
8 Haryana 70.00 68.93 52.22 85.38 83.84 52.5
9 Himachal Pradesh 45 46.09 60.63 55.86 15 33.34
10 Jammu & Kashmir 85 83.26 62.53 52.24 41.79 4.49
11 Jharkhand 20 30.06 100 38.2
12 Karnataka 50 189.07 158 196.64 219.73 113.31
13 Kerala 250 235.58 300 221.39 58.42 138.68
14 Madhya Pradesh 575 356.53 744.17 508.5 644.98 215.89
15 Maharashtra 450 464.67 611.93 686.8 574.44 338.43
16 Manipur 60 33 0 60 39.56 44.5
17 Meghalaya 45 34.81 25 30.56 5 30.38
18 Mizoram 45 27.28 10.28 37.64 19.83 18.06
19 Nagaland 50 50 40 28.84 23.07 26.24
20 Orissa 250 105.86 50 110.26 136.7 82.16
21 Punjab 0 51.32 100 73.27 41.41 0
22 Rajasthan 550 304.63 946.27 812.75 484.9 261.16
23 Sikkim 6 9.58 3.18
24 Tamil Nadu 115.86 48.42 400.59 401.54 390.12
25 Tripura 40 47.64 70.73 50 25.01 45.74
26 Uttar Pradesh 750 454.5 356.15 560.23 291.27 452.04
27 Uttaranchal 19.99 110.94 44.66 80 82.38
28 West Bengal 150 195.24 400 314.41 316,35 233.1
29 A & N Islands 3.48 0.77
31 Chandigarh 4 4 2 2.43
30 Daman & Diu
32 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 2 0.59
33 Delhi 25 57.23 28 19.7 13.21 11.68
34 Lakshadweep 1.5 0 1.06
35 Pondicherry 5 2.7 3.96 2.72 2.18
Total 5007.5 4104.38 5683.75 6320.03 4961.66 3626.49

22
(b) Infrastructure Facilities in Anganwadi Kendras
[Ref. RSUSQ 4861, 9 May 2005]
Shri N.R. Govindrajar (AIADMK) asked:
(a) Whether most of the Anganwadi Kendras lack the basic
infrastructure like building, drinking water, toilets, weighing
machines, plates and tumblers to feed the children;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps being taken by Government to provide better
infrastructure facilities in these Kendras?
ShrimatiKantiSingh,MinisterofStateintheMinistry
of Human Resource Development answered:
(a)&(b)TheDraftReportofRapidFacilitySurveyonIntegrated
Child Development Scheme (ICDS) infrastructure submitted
by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in
December 2004 has, inter-alia, brought out that:
More than 46% Anganwadis were running from pucca
building, 21% from semi pucca building, 15% from kutcha
building and more than 9% running from open space.
27% Anganwadis have reported that they do not have any
drinking water facility, 39% Anganwadis have hand pump as
the drinking water facility.
More than 45% have no toilet facility and 40% have reported
the availability of only urinal.
Nearly three-fourth of the Anganwadis have reported the
availability of baby weighing scale.
Nearly 50% Anganwadis reported availability of tumblers
and plates, mats, shelf, table, chair, a national flag, vessels,
files, records, health cards, building blocks, counting
frames, toys, books, scissors, stove and spoons.
(c) Guidelines have been issued to all the States/UTs, in
consultation with Department of Drinking Water Supply, for
providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in
Anganwadi Centres through Accelerated Rural Water Supply
Scheme and the Total Sanitation Campaign. Construction of
20,000 Anganwadi Centres, which include child friendly toilet
has been sanctioned in North Eastern States. 35,150 Anganwadi
Centres have been constructed under the World Bank Assisted
1CDS-I, II & III Projects. In addition 8693 Anganwadi Centres
have been constructed under ICDS APER Project in Andhra
Pradesh.
For furniture and fixtures, including utensils, funds are being
provided by the Govt. of India.
3.5 Child Development Schemes
(a) Anganwadi Kendras
[Ref. LSUSQ2889, 22 March 2005]
Sri Rajesh Verma (BSP), Kunwar Manvendra Singh
(BJP) and Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu (SS) asked:
(a) the main functions of the Anganwadi Kendras;
(b) whether any new/additional programmes are being
implemented through these Anganwadi Kendras;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) the number of Anganwadi have full time employees and
what has been the addition to the number during the last five
years, State-wise;
(e) the number of Anganwadi workers at present, State-
wise;
(f) the criteria of appointment of Anganwadi workers;
(g) whether there is shortage of Anganwadi workers; and
(h) ifso,thedetailsthereof,State-wisealongwiththeaction
taken or proposed to be taken by the Union Government in this
regard?
Shrimati Kanti Singh, Minister of State in the
Ministry of Human Resource Development answered:
(a) Anganwadi Centre is the focal point for delivery of services
under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
Scheme. The package of services under the Scheme comprises
supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up,
referral services, pre¬school non-formal education and
nutrition & health education.
(b) & (c) In addition to ICDS, nutrition component of Pradhan
Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) and a Pilot Project, in
51 districts, to provide free food grains to undernourished
adolescent girls and pregnant women and lactating mothers,
initiated by the Planning Commission in 2002-03, are
implemented through Anganwadi Centres.
(d) & (e) Each operational Anganwadi is managed by an
Anganwadi worker and a helper, who are both honorary workers
fromthelocalcommunityandarepaidfixedmonthlyhonoraria,
as decided by the Government from time to time. State-wise
number of sanctioned/operational Anganwadis during the last
five years is given in Table 3.8.
(f) As per guidelines of the Scheme, the Anganwadi worker
has to be a lady (18-44 years) from the local village. However,
State governments are competent to take an appropriate view
regarding age, qualification etc.
(g) & (h) In some States, all Anganwadi Centres sanctioned by
theGovernmentofIndiahavenotbeenmadeoperational.There
has been constant emphasis on the State/UTs to operationalise
all the sanctioned Anganwadis as early as possible. As a result,
the number of operational Anganwadi Centres has increased
from 545714 as on 31.05.2003 to 600391 as on 31.3.2004 and to
698672 on 31.12.2004 as given in Table 3.8.

23
Table 3.8: Statement referred to in reply to Part (d), (e), (g) & (h) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2889 for 22.3.2005 regarding Anganwadi.
Sl. No. State/UT No. of Sanctioned and Operational Anganwadi Centres
As on 31.3.2001 As on 31.3.2002 As on 31.3.2003 As on 31.3.2004 As on 31.12.2004
Sanctioned Operational Sanctioned Operational Sanctioned Operational Sanctioned Operational Sanctioned Operational
1 Andhra Pradesh 36868 32215 37297 36140 53700 52419 54312 53564 54312 53713
2 Arunachal Pradesh 2821 1214 2621 1637 2326 1319 2359 2286 2359 2359
3 Assam 15847 14846 10383 13149 20152 19719 25416 25302 25416 25302
4 Bihar Not Available Not Available 20058 17683 20058 17683 60813 24871 60813 32047
5 Chhattisgarh 20234 19473 20289 19965 20289 20146 20289 20277 20289 20289
6 Goa 1216 1017 1216 1017 1216 1011 1012 1012 1012 1012
7 Gujarat 35933 30614 37961 31131 37961 32830 37961 35441 37961 37072
8 Haryana 13546 13543 13546 13545 13546 13546 13546 13546 13546 13546
9 Himachal Pradesh 7123 7123 7123 7121 7354 7314 7354 7354 7354 7354
10 Jammu & Kashmir 7153 6261 10322 10049 10321 10125 11821 10227 11821 10227
11 Jharkhand Not Available Not Available 16689 14549 12478 11372 23078 14967 23078 16002
12 Karnataka 40170 40093 40170 40133 40301 40285 40301 40301 40301 40301
13 Kerala 19966 18895 25393 22637 25315 24289 25393 24415 25393 25187
14 Madhya Pradesh 37934 35052 46928 45946 47728 47229 49784 48922 49787 49328
15 Maharashtra 46042 44980 46058 44896 61866 58235 62716 58109 62716 61558
16 Manipur 4181 4128 4413 4376 4413 4371 4501 4499 4501 4500
17 Meghalaya 2218 2155 2218 2165 2218 2200 2218 2217 2218 2218
18 Mizoram 1341 1273 1341 1283 1341 1193 1361 1341 1361 1381
19 Nagaland 2586 2556 2593 2569 2595 2575 2770 2770 2770 2770
20 Orissa 28612 26357 31855 29611 31855 31209 34201 34201 34201 34201
21 Punjab 14821 12785 15829 13540 15829 14017 15829 14018 14730 14730
22 Rajasthan 27233 26477 35710 34723 35710 35457 35821 35686 35821 35821
23 Sikkim 499 472 500 494 500 492 500 500 500 500
24 Tamil Nadu 44278 31618 45136 31712 42279 31713 42377 30059 42677 42677
25 Tripura 3537 3493 3537 3499 3692 3553 3786 3692 3874 3768
28 Uttar Pradesh 61992 53141 64282 54402 64570 56871 103104 75005 108059 94680
27 Uttaranchal N A N A 4243 3811 4243 3971 6378 5924 6658 6399
28 West Bengal 47225 40543 47883 38407 56544 51700 57540 53354 57540 54203
29 A&N Islands 527 425 527 429 527 429 527 429 527 429
30 Chandigarh 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300
31 Delhi 3842 3642 3842 3842 3842 3842 3902 3842 3902 3842
32 Dadra & N Haveli 125 125 125 125 138 138 138 138 138 138
33 Daman & Diu 87 77 87 77 87 87 87 87 87 87
34 Lakshadweep 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 74
35 Pondicherry 877 677 677 677 677 677 877 677 677 877
All India 528408 475844 601206 545714 646045 600391 752246 649405 754773 698672

24
Table 3.9: Child Focused Questions on Early Childhood Care and Development, Budget Session 2005
Sl. No. MP Pol. Party M/F Ref No. Date Ministry Subject
Policy
1. Tariq Anwar INC M RSUSQ 240 2 Mar Home Affairs Birth and Death registration records
2. Datta Meghe NCP M RSUSQ 652 7 Mar HRD Survey on Malnutrition
3. Manoj Bhattacharya RSP M RSUSQ 1274 14 Mar HRD Charter and Action plan for children
4. Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi INC M LSUSQ 1764 15 Mar HRD United Nations Children Report
5. Anant Gudhe SS M LSUSQ 1773 15 Mar HRD National Nutrition Policy
6. Dilip Singh Judev BJP M RSUSQ 2663 18 Apr HRD Anganwadi workers training centres
7. Jayantilal Barot BJP M RSSQ 348 18 Apr HRD Substitutes of child food
Maya Singh BJP F
8. Dr.M.Jagannath TDP M LSUSQ 3828 19 Apr HRD Distribution of candy among children and women
9. Jaya Bachchan SP F RSUSQ 3382 25 Apr UD Ban on playing in parks
10. N.P.Durga TDP F RSUSQ 3317 25 Apr HRD National Commission for Children’s Right
11. Sumitra Mahajan BJP F LSUSQ 4619 26 Apr HRD Guidelines on infant child feeding
12. N.Janardhana Reddy INC M LSUSQ 1534 14 Mar FPI Repeal the infant milk substitutes
13. R.B.S.Varma BJP M RSUSQ 2670 18 Apr HRD Anganwadi centres
14. Rama Muni Reddy Sirigireddy TDP M RSUSQ 3300 25 Apr HRD National children board
15. Pyarelal Khandelwal BJP M RSUSQ 3276 25 Apr HRD Lack of nutritional food
16. Sk.Khabir Uddin Ahmed CPI (M) M RSUSQ 3294 25 Apr HRD Anganwadi karyakarthi bima Yojana
17. K.B.Krishna Murthy INC M RSUSQ 3295 25 Apr HRD Anganwadi centres in Karnataka
18. Ambika Soni INC F RSSQ 437 25 Apr HRD Objectives of the ICDS
Santosh Bagrodia INC M
19. Sk.Khabir Uddin Ahmed CPI (M) M RSUSQ 4067 2 May HRD Beneficiaries under I.C.D.S. projects
20. Ravi Prakash Verma SP M LSUSQ 6762 5 May HRD Review of legislation on women and children by NCW
21. P.K.Maheshwari INC M RSUSQ 5226 13May H&FW One Child Policy
Physical/Financial Resources
22. C.Ramachandraiah TDP M RSUSQ 3315 25Apr HRD Funds and future plans for women and child development
23. Lakshminarayan Sharma BJP M RSUSQ 448 3 Mar YA&S Funds Allocated for development of schools
24. Adhir Chowdhury INC M LSUSQ 1843 15 Mar HRD WB Assistance for women and child development
25. M.A.M.Ramaswamy JD (S) M RSUSQ 2378 18 Apr SJ&E Financial assistance under integrated programme for street children
26. Raju Parmar INC M RSUSQ 4053 2 May HRD Funds for women and child development schemes
Kamla Manhar INC F
27. Krishna Murari Moghe BJP M LSUSQ 161 I Mar HRD Grants to NGOs for Crèches
Vijay Kumar Khandelwal BJP M
28. Rama Mohana Rao TDP M RSUSQ 3279 25 Apr HRD Infrastructure and facilities in Anganwadi centres
Rama Muni Reddy Sirigireddy TDP M
29. N.R.Govindrajar AIADMK M RSUSQ 4861 9 May HRD Infrastructure facilities in Anganwadi Kendras
30. Maya Singh BJP F RSUSQ 686 7 Mar HRD Grants to Voluntary organisations

25
Table 3.9: Child Focused Questions on Early Childhood Care and Development, Budget Session 2005 (cont’d.)
Sl. No. MP Pol. Party M/F Ref No. Date Ministry Subject
Child Development Schemes
31. Y.G.Mahajan BJP M LSUSQ 152 1 Mar HRD Schemes for Women and Child Development
Kiran Maheshwari BJP F
Harishchandra Chavan BJP M
32. Sudarshan Akarpu TDP M RSSQ 97 7 Mar HRD National Bal Bhawan programme
33. Abu Asim Azmi SP M RSUSQ 1916 18 Mar FPI Regulation of infant foods
34. Rajesh Verma BSP M LSUSQ 2889 22 Mar HRD Anganwadi Kendras
Kunwar Manvendra Singh BSP M
Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu SS M
35. S.K.Kharventhan INC M LSUSQ 3405 24 Mar Culture National Academy for Children
36. Nand Kishore Yadav BJP M RSUSQ 2680 18 Apr HRD Integrated child development schemes in U.P.
37. Varinder Singh Bajwa SAD M RSUSQ 2682 18 Apr HRD Commissions under HRD
38. P.S.Gadhavi BJP M LSUSQ 3793 19 Apr HRD ICDS
Kashiram Rana BJP M
V.K.Thummar INC M
Giridhari Yadav RJD M
39. Braja Kishore Tripathy RJD M
Tathagata Satpathy BJD M LSUSQ 3881 19 Apr HRD Publicity of women and child development schemes
40. Dilip Singh Judev BJP M RSUSQ 3299 25 Apr HRD Anganwadi worker training centres in Chhattisgarh and M.P.
41. Sk. Khabir Uddin Ahmed CPI (M) M RSUSQ 4832 9 May HRD Anganwadi Centres
42. M.M.Agarwal IND M RSUSQ 4832 9 May HRD Bal Bhawans
43. Shahid Siddiqui SP M RSSQ 718 13 May H&FW Mother-Child welfare centres
Youth Development
44. Suresh Chandel BJP M LSUSQ 2824 22 Mar YA&S NSS Refreshment Amount
45. M.Ramadass PMK M LSUSQ 3794 19 Apr YA&S Youth Development Schemes
Note:
LSSQ: Lok Sabha Starred Question
LSUSQ: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question
RSSQ: Rajya Sabha Starred Question
RSUSQ: Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question
Line in bold: Full text of Q/A given in chapters
Source: Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha, List of Questions for (a) Oral answers (b) Written answers
www.parliamentoﬁndia.nic.in

26
Child Health
4.1 Child Health in Budget Session 2005 of
the Parliament
In 1978 at Alma Ata, India along with all other WHO member
nations, pledged to provide Health For All by 2000. It is more
than a quarter century since then but we are nowhere close
to reaching those goals. In the same year India signed the
InternationalCovenantonEconomic,SocialandCulturalRights.
Article 12 of this covenant lays down that the State is obliged
to achieve the highest attainable standard of health. But the
health situation in India remains dismal.
Even today in India twenty-two lakh infants and children die
each year from preventable illness. Nearly one lakh mothers
die during childbirth annually. In a situation of surplus food
stocks8
, malnutrition and hunger deaths are not uncommon
evenindevelopedstateslikeMaharashtra.Sinceindependence
the number of tuberculosis deaths (around 5 lakh annually)
has remained unchanged. Diarrhoea and Malaria continue
to be killers and now we also have a load of 5 million people
suffering with HIV/AIDS.
Giventhecontextofpovertyandthemiserablehealthscenario,
access to public health services becomes very critical. Health
policy in India since independence has moved away from being
a comprehensive universal healthcare system defined by the
Bhore Committee (1946) to being a selective and targeted
programme based healthcare policy. The public health care
system is today limited to family planning, immunisation,
selected disease surveillance and medical education and
research. The time has come to reclaim health as public
issue requiring governmental support and resources.and
make a paradigm shift from a policy-based entitlement to
a rights-based entitlement. The fact that healthcare is not a
fundamental right (thus obligating the state to provide for it),
also finds reflection in the proceedings of Parliament in the
Budget Session 2005.
Only 19 questions (4 in Lok Sabha and 15 in Rajya Sabha) were
raised on the issue of Child Health, which is 4.49 per cent of
totalchildrelatedquestions.TheserelatedtoPoliovaccination,
InfantMortalityRateanddeathofinfants,motherchildwelfare
centres and AIDS. Not even a single question was raised related
to physical and financial resource allocation for Child Health.
It is unfortunate that only four questions were raised in 212
working hours of Lok Sabha for the 430 million children of India
that comprises 20 per cent of the world’s child population (0-
18),whiletheLokSabhawasted30hoursinadjournment.Rajya
Sabha members raised the issue of child health 15 times but
missed the opportunity to ask questions related to allocation
andutilisationofbudgetaryresourcesforchildhealth.National
Rural Health Mission was on board but the Parliament in its
Budget Session of 2005 did not even show interest to discuss
and pass it.
The issue of Neo-Natal mortality was also highlighted in the
Budget Session 2005. In answer to a question asked by Ms. N.
P. Durga [Ref. RSUSQ No. 1162, 11 March 2005] the Minister
of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ms.
Panabaka Lakshmi quoting the Sample Registration System
(SRS) of Registrar General of India said, “62.4% of all infants’
deaths in 2002 took place during first four weeks of life. The all
India figure of Neo-natal Mortality rate in the year 2002 was
41, which is a matter of grave concern. The states of Orissa,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh present very disturbing picture on
this front as the Neo Natal Mortality rates in these states for
the same year were 53, 48 and 47 respectively. Child health
is an integral part of the on-going Reproductive and Child
Health programme of Government of India, which is being
implemented in all states since 1977”.
This programme focuses mainly on reducing deaths among
infants and children through immunisation against vaccine
preventable diseases i.e. Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertusis,
Tetanus, Measles and Polio, with Hepatitis B being taken up
as a pilot project; control of deaths due to Diarrhoea; control
of deaths due to Acute Respiratory Infections; Prophylaxis
against vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency – Anaemia;
essentialnewborncare;promotionofexclusivebreastfeeding;
and appropriate complementary feeding practices.
Integrated Management of Neo-natal and Childhood Illnesses
(IMNCI) is recognised as a technically superior package and
will be implemented in the country in a phased manner in the
second phase of RCH II, which started in April, 2005.
As a strategy a convergence of RCH-II is planned with NRHM
but until and unless the Government of India remedies the
maladies inflicting its Health Centres both in Rural and Urban
areas, the future of Child Health in India seems bleak.
From all over India 136 cases of polio were reported in 2004.
The state of Uttar Pradesh presents an alarming picture as
82 cases were reported from this state alone. The other state
8. Also see The Republic of Hunger, Utsa Patnaik, 21 April 2004, Macroscan for an alternate analysis of surplus food stocks
4

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