8 min readConcept sheetOften a 10-mark answer; years and names come in Section A

National Nutrition Policy and POSHAN Abhiyaan

India's National Nutrition Policy (1993) tackles malnutrition through direct, short-term and indirect, long-term measures. POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018) is today's national nutrition mission.

National Nutrition PolicyAdopted 1993, under the Department of Women and Child Development

National Plan of Action on Nutrition1995

POSHAN AbhiyaanLaunched 8 March 2018 at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan

Mission Poshan 2.0Brings together anganwadi services, POSHAN Abhiyaan and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls

What a nutrition policy is

A nutrition policy is a government's statement of goals and strategies for improving the nutrition of its people, with the action each sector must take. India adopted its National Nutrition Policy (NNP) in 1993, prepared under the Department of Women and Child Development. It saw malnutrition as a problem of poverty, food, health, sanitation and the status of women, not of food alone, so it asked many ministries to act together. The National Plan of Action on Nutrition (1995) turned the policy into tasks for each department.

Strategies of the National Nutrition Policy

Type	Measures
Direct (short-term) interventions	Widen the ICDS safety net to reach all vulnerable children and mothers; supplementary feeding for adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating women; fortification of essential foods such as salt; popularising low-cost nutritious foods; controlling vitamin A, iron and iodine deficiency in vulnerable groups
Indirect (long-term) institutional and structural changes	Food security (more grains, pulses, oilseeds); better diets through production and demonstration such as kitchen gardens; income transfers and land reforms; a better PDS; health and family welfare, immunisation, safe water and sanitation; nutrition education and female literacy; preventing food adulteration; minimum wages and equal pay for women; nutrition surveillance, monitoring and research; community participation

Type

Measures

Direct (short-term) interventions

Widen the ICDS safety net to reach all vulnerable children and mothers; supplementary feeding for adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating women; fortification of essential foods such as salt; popularising low-cost nutritious foods; controlling vitamin A, iron and iodine deficiency in vulnerable groups

Indirect (long-term) institutional and structural changes

Food security (more grains, pulses, oilseeds); better diets through production and demonstration such as kitchen gardens; income transfers and land reforms; a better PDS; health and family welfare, immunisation, safe water and sanitation; nutrition education and female literacy; preventing food adulteration; minimum wages and equal pay for women; nutrition surveillance, monitoring and research; community participation

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)

Full namePrime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment

Launched8 March 2018, Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan)

AimReduce stunting, undernutrition, anaemia and low birth weight in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers

Targets set in 2018Cut stunting, undernutrition and low birth weight by 2% a year, and anaemia by 3% a year

Main toolsTechnology (real-time records, now the Poshan Tracker app), convergence of departments, a people's movement (Jan Andolan), training and incentives

Jan Andolan eventsPoshan Maah every September; Poshan Pakhwada in March

TodayPart of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0

Policy vs mission

National Nutrition Policy (1993)A policy: sets the direction. Lists direct and indirect strategies for many ministries. Led to the National Plan of Action on Nutrition (1995).

POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018)A mission: puts policy into action with targets, technology and a time frame, joining ICDS, health, water and sanitation, education and rural development at the village level.

In the community

During Poshan Maah each September, anganwadis, schools and self-help groups hold recipe demonstrations, growth-monitoring drives and rallies. Nutrition students can join these as part of their community work.

Exam angle

2 marks: “When was the National Nutrition Policy adopted?” In 1993, under the Department of Women and Child Development; the National Plan of Action on Nutrition followed in 1995.

5 marks: “Write a note on POSHAN Abhiyaan.” Full name; launched 8 March 2018 at Jhunjhunu; aims and targets; tools (technology, convergence, Jan Andolan, training); Poshan Maah; now part of Poshan 2.0.

10 marks: “Discuss the National Nutrition Policy of India and its strategies.” Define a nutrition policy; NNP 1993 and NPAN 1995; direct short-term interventions; indirect long-term structural changes; POSHAN Abhiyaan as the present mission; close on convergence.

Remember it

NNP 1993 → NPAN 1995 → POSHAN Abhiyaan 2018 → Poshan 2.0. Direct = feed and fortify now; indirect = fix food, income, health and women's status for the long run.