Poshan Abhiyan | 11 Mar 2025

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Poshan Abhiyaan aims to improve nutritional outcomes through technology, cross-sectoral convergence, and community involvement.

About: It is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, launched on 8th March 2018 in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. The program aims to address the nutrition needs of adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children (0-6 years) through a targeted and convergent approach.

Objectives: It aims to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively
Strategic Pillars: It operates through four strategic pillars:
- Quality Services: Strengthens health services via ICDS, NHM, and PMMVY, focusing on a child’s first 1,000 days.
- Cross-Sectoral Convergence: Integrates ministries like Water & Sanitation for holistic nutrition.
  - The National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges, led by NITI Aayog, guides policy and reviews nutrition convergence quarterly.
- Technology: Uses the Poshan Tracker for real-time data and monitoring and ICDS-Common Application Software to strengthen delivery of Anganwadi Services.
- Jan Andolan: Promotes community-led nutrition awareness and behavioral change.
Nutritional Improvement: As per the NFHS-5 (2019-21) for children under 5 years.

Indicator	NFHS-4 (2015-16)	NFHS-5 (2019-21)
Wasting (Low weight-for-height)	21%	19.30%
Undernutrition (Low weight-for-age)	35.70%	32.10%
Stunting (Low height-for-age)	38.40%	35.50%

Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: It is also known as Mission Poshan 2.0, that fosters health, wellness, and immunity and infrastructure upgrades for Anganwadi Centre (AWCs) e.g., dedicated buildings, functional toilets, with drinking water access.

Q. Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017)

To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(d) 3 and 4 only

Ans: (a)

Q. Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? (2016)

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Ans: (c)