ICAR, CFTRI and the Food and Nutrition Board
ICAR grows more and better food, CFTRI turns it into safe, low-cost processed foods, and the Food and Nutrition Board carried nutrition education to the field until it was dissolved.
ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
- Set up on 16 July 1929; the apex body for agricultural research and education, working under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education with many institutes and agricultural universities.
- Led the research behind the Green Revolution: high-yielding varieties that made India self-sufficient in grains.
- Develops biofortified varieties (iron- and zinc-rich pearl millet, zinc-rich wheat, higher-protein rice) and promotes millets through the Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad.
- Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in districts train farmers and farm women in crops, kitchen gardens, food processing and nutrition.
- Institutes for dairy (NDRI, Karnal), fisheries, horticulture and women in agriculture (CIWA, Bhubaneswar) improve the supply of milk, fish, fruits and vegetables.
- Promotes nutri-gardens and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute), Mysuru
- Set up in 1950 under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
- Develops food processing technologies for cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, spices, meat and fish, and packaging.
- Pioneered low-cost protein foods such as Indian Multipurpose Food (groundnut and Bengal gram flour) and Miltone (a groundnut-based toned milk), and weaning and supplementary food mixes.
- Works to reduce post-harvest losses through better storage and preservation.
- Food safety and quality: testing, contaminants, analytical methods, advice for standards.
- Training and technology transfer: courses for entrepreneurs, self-help groups and students; licenses its technologies to small industries.
Food and Nutrition Board (FNB)
- Was the technical support wing of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The government officially dissolved it in 2024 while cutting down the number of government bodies; learn its role as it was, because the syllabus still asks for it.
- Had a technical wing at the Centre, four regional offices, four quality control laboratories (Faridabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai) and Community Food and Nutrition Extension Units (CFNEUs) in the states.
- Nutrition education and extension: training of ICDS and other functionaries, orientation of grassroots workers, demonstrations of low-cost recipes, training in home-scale fruit and vegetable preservation, exhibitions.
- Quality testing of food samples such as supplementary nutrition.
- Observed National Nutrition Week (1-7 September) and produced educational material.
Comparing the three
| Body | Parent ministry or council | Main contribution to nutrition |
|---|---|---|
| ICAR | Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare | More and better food: varieties, biofortification, KVK training |
| CFTRI | CSIR (Ministry of Science and Technology) | Processing, preservation, low-cost foods, food safety, training |
| FNB (dissolved in 2024) | Ministry of Women and Child Development | Nutrition education and extension, training, quality testing |
In one village, a KVK may teach farm women to grow a nutri-garden and CFTRI may train a self-help group to make a millet health mix for sale; until it was dissolved, the FNB's CFNEU officers trained anganwadi workers in low-cost recipes.
2 marks: “Expand CFTRI and give its location.” Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, set up in 1950 under CSIR.
5 marks: “Write a note on the Food and Nutrition Board.” Was the technical support wing of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, officially dissolved in 2024; regional offices and quality control laboratories; CFNEUs; training, demonstrations, preservation training, quality testing, National Nutrition Week.
10 marks: “Describe the role of ICAR, CFTRI and the Food and Nutrition Board in improving nutrition in India.” Each agency: year, parent body, functions, nutrition examples; comparison table; how they support ICDS and community programmes.
Grow (ICAR) → Process (CFTRI) → Teach (FNB). ICAR 1929; CFTRI 1950, Mysuru.