'Govt planning backdoor entry of MNCs into kid's scheme'

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is tweaking the rules to allow backdoor entry of multinational food companies in the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS), said a group of public health activists.

Draft rules, framed by the ministry earlier this month, had specific provisions on the composition of the meal, which may benefit the processed food industry as it would not be possible for small time suppliers like self help groups or women’s groups to meet those conditions.

For instance, take home rations for children of six to 36 months of age should be in the form of “micro-nutrient fortified food or energy dense food or both.” Severely malnourished children in the same age group should get food supplement to provide 800 calories of energy and 20-25 grams of proteins.

In another category, it was suggested that severely malnourished children aged between three and six years would get an additional 300 calories of energy and eight to ten grams of protein in the form of micro-nutrient fortified food or energy dense food or both, besides regular supply.

“The ministry has brought back such extremely stringent conditions on the composition of the meal. It seems these conditions are framed so as to make it difficult for low budget organisations to meet them,” said paediatrician Arun Gupta, regional coordinator of International Baby Food Action Network.

“Such conditions would favour processed food supplied by corporate or commercial entities and make it impossible for women’s groups and self help groups to be involved in supply of meals and take home rations,” he said.

The National Food Security Act, 2013, stipulates that pregnant women, lactating mothers and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free meals.
Besides, children aged between six months and 14 years are to receive free hot meals or take home rations.

But compared to the rules, the Act does not have any conditions on the food entitlements to meet the micro-nutrient requirements.

“India has close to 400 million kids up to 14 years of age. If you consider that it costs Rs 3-4 for providing food to each of them, then it amounts to daily Rs 100 crore market, which private firms want to tap,” said Vandana Prasad, a community paediatrician and a former member of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.