Poshan Abhiyaan - National Nutrition Mission

For the UPSC test, government programmes are quite significant. They are part of the IAS exam's polity and governance sections. You may learn all about the Indian government's Poshan Abhiyaan programme for UPSC in this page.

Poshan Abhiyaan UPSC Notes:-Download PDF Here

Poshan Abhiyaan Pillars

The government has named the following as the pillars of the Abhiyaan:

Specific Targets of NNM

The National Nutrition Mission aims at achieving the following:

1. Reduce stunting by 2% annually.
2. Reduce under-nutrition by 2% annually.
3. Reduce anaemia by 3% annually.
4. Reduce low birth weight by 2% annually.

Rashtriya Poshan Maah

Every year, the month of September is designated as a Poshan Maah under the Poshan Abhiyaan. Several actions are carried out to raise nutrition awareness in the community. The focus is on Social Behavioural Change and Communication in this section (SBCC).

Poshan Abhiyaan

Poshan Abhiyaan, also known as the National Nutrition Mission (NNM), was launched in 2018 (although the program was implemented in 2017) by the Indian government with the aim of tackling malnutrition which is a common problem in India.

• The main objective of the mission is to reduce the level of malnutrition and also to improve the nutritional status of the country's children.
• The Mission is a multi-ministerial initiative and aims to eliminate malnutrition in the country by 2022.
• Poshan Abhiyaan is India's flagship program aimed at improving nutritional outcomes for adolescents, children, pregnant and lactating women.
• Mission to promote technology and convergence between different modules and departments.
• The term "Poshan" in the program's name means "the Prime Minister's Comprehensive Program on Holistic Nutrition".
• The program has specific goals to reduce stunting, anemia, malnutrition and low birth weight.
• According to “Mission 25 in 2020”, the National Nutrition Mission aims to reduce the prevalence of stunting from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
• The mission also includes mapping programs differences related to undernutrition and enable real synergies - monitoring systems over time, strong convergence between regimes, incentives for States and UTs to achieve set targets and optimize the operation of Anganwadi centers, in addition to performing social audits.

• These other programs include Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Janani Suraksha Yojana, Program for Adolescent Girls (SAG), Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, PDS, National Health Mission, etc.
• For Anganwadi centers, the planned mission is as follows:
• Provide incentives for Anganwadi workers (AWW) to use IT tools.
• Removes registers used by AWW.
• Measuring the height of children in Anganwadi centers.

• Another component of the mission is the gradual intensification of interventions within the World Bank-supported integrated systems of child development services (ICDS).
• The implementing agency is the Department of Women and Children Development, GOI.
• NITI Aayog also played a central role in the mission. India's National Council on Nutritional Challenges, established under Poshan Abhiyaan, is chaired by NITI Vice President Aayog.

• This board is also known as the National Nutrition Council or NCN.
• NCN provides policy guidance for addressing nutritional challenges and evaluating programs in this direction.
• This is the national coordinating and converging body for nutrition.

Impact of Covid-19 on Malnutrition

Covid-19 is forcing millions of people into poverty, lowering many more people's earnings, and disproportionately harming the poor, who are also the most vulnerable to hunger and food insecurity.
Furthermore, pandemic-induced lockdowns hampered key services such as supplemental feeding at Anganwadi centres, mid-day meals, vaccination, and micronutrient supplementation, exacerbating malnutrition. On the linked page, you may learn more about malnutrition, its kinds, and its consequences.