Why in News?
The Poshan 2.0 has been a significant milestone in ensuring the better health and nutrition to the children and women in India.
What is POSHAN Abhiyaan?
- POSHAN Abhiyaan – Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN).
- It is India’s flagship National Nutrition Mission aimed at improving nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls.
- Funding mechanism – It is a centrally sponsored scheme.
- Initially, it involved a 50:50 sharing ratio between the Center and States.
- Later modified to 60:40 for states, 90:10 for special category states, and 100% for UTs without legislatures, making it a centrally sponsored program.
- Launched on – 8 March 2018.
- Approach – It represents a paradigm shift from a welfare-oriented approach to a comprehensive, lifecycle-based strategy.
- This approach recognises nutrition as a key driver of human capital development, economic growth, and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Key goals – The mission places special emphasis on the first 1,000 days—from conception to 2 years—as a critical window for ensuring optimal physical and cognitive development.
What is the background and policy framework?
- Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), 1975 – Provided a foundation for supplementary nutrition, health services, and early childhood care through Anganwadi Centres.
- Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), 2017 – Introduced maternity benefits through direct cash transfers to support maternal health.
- National Nutrition Strategy, 2017 (NITI Aayog) – Emphasised convergence, monitoring, and community engagement.
- POSHAN Abhiyaan, 2018 – Brought multiple ministries together under a unified framework with measurable targets.
- Mission Poshan 2.0 (2021–22) – Consolidated various schemes into a single integrated structure to improve efficiency and outcomes.
- This framework reflects a shift towards convergence across sectors such as health, sanitation, education, and women’s empowerment.
What are the key features of POSHAN Abhiyaan?
- Convergence Approach – Integrates efforts of over 26 ministries and departments.
- Lifecycle and Preventive Strategy – Focus on maternal, infant, and adolescent nutrition.
- Technology-Driven Monitoring – Use of Poshan Tracker for real-time data collection.
- Jan Andolan (People’s Movement) – Community mobilisation through campaigns like Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada.
- Targeted Interventions – Focus on reducing stunting, wasting, anaemia, and low birth weight.
- Focus on First 1,000 Days – Critical period for child development.
What are the Key structural reforms in Poshan 2.0?
- Poshan 2.0 – It is announced in the Union Budget 2021–22.
- It aims to streamline and strengthen nutrition delivery by subsuming:
- Anganwadi Services
- Scheme for Adolescent Girls
- POSHAN Abhiyaan
- Unified Framework – Integration of multiple schemes for better coordination.
- Improved Nutritional Norms – Shift from calorie-centric to balanced, diverse diets rich in micronutrients.
- Focus on Quality and Outcomes – Emphasis on maternal nutrition, IYCF practices, and management of SAM/MAM.
- Infrastructure Strengthening – Upgradation of Anganwadi Centres into Saksham Anganwadis.
- Integration of AYUSH Practices – Promoting holistic wellness.
What are the major components of mission Poshan 2.0?
- Nutrition Support – Supplementary nutrition for children (6 months–6 years), pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls as per NFSA, 2013.
- Revised norms (2023) ensure diet diversity, quality protein, healthy fats, and essential micronutrients.
- Special provisions for Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children, including referral to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs).
- Community-Based Management of Malnutrition (CMAM) for children without medical complications.
- Establishment of Poshan Vatikas (nutri-gardens) to promote local, nutritious food.
- Growth monitoring, screening, and home-based care by Anganwadi Workers.
- Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) – Aligned with National ECCE Policy (2013) and NEP 2020 (5+3+3+4 framework).
- Focus on play-based, activity-based learning for children aged 3–6 years.
- Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative to improve ECCE quality through infrastructure and training.
- Capacity building:
- Over 41,000 State Level Master Trainers.
- Over 10 lakh Anganwadi Workers trained.
- Key frameworks:
- Navchetana (0–3 years) – Early stimulation through caregiver engagement.
- Aadharshila (3–6 years) – Curriculum with 130+ activities based on developmental domains.
- Integration with Poshan Tracker for digital content delivery (videos, voice notes, PDFs).
- Introduction of Vidyarambh ECCE certificates for school readiness.
- Co-location of Anganwadi Centres with primary schools for smooth transition.
- Saksham Anganwadi – Upgradation of Anganwadi Centres with modern infrastructure:
- LED screens, smart learning tools, water purifiers.
- Nutri-gardens and improved facilities.
- Around 2 lakh centres sanctioned for strengthening.
- Over 2.9 lakh centres co-located with schools to ensure continuity in education.
What is the significance of the programme?
- Human Capital Development – Improved nutrition leads to better health, learning, and productivity.
- Reduction in Malnutrition – Targeted reduction in stunting, wasting, and anaemia.
- Women Empowerment – Focus on maternal health and nutrition.
- Early Childhood Development – Integration of nutrition with education enhances cognitive outcomes.
- Community Ownership – Jan Andolan approach ensures behavioural change.
- Support to SDGs: Contributes to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Health), and SDG 4 (Education).
- Governance Innovation:
- Poshan Tracker (2021) – Real-time monitoring of over 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres and ~9 crore beneficiaries.
- Tracks attendance, nutrition delivery, and ECCE activities.
- Aadhaar Integration & Facial Recognition System (FRS) – Ensures transparency and prevents leakages.
- Home Visit Scheduler (2026) – Automated scheduling of 23 structured visits for pregnant women and children (0–3 years).
- Provides customised counselling and activity-based guidance.
- Grievance Redressal Mechanism:
- Helpline (1515) available in multiple languages.
- Recognition:
- Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration (2024).
What are the achievements and challenges?
- Achievements
- Near real-time monitoring of service delivery.
- Coverage of millions of beneficiaries through Anganwadi network.
- Massive community mobilisation with over 150 crore activities under Jan Andolan.
- Improved convergence across ministries and schemes.
- Strengthened ECCE framework and school readiness initiatives.
- Challenges
- Persistent malnutrition indicators in certain regions.
- Implementation gaps across states due to capacity constraints.
- Digital divide affecting effective use of Poshan Tracker in remote areas.
- Behavioural change remains slow in areas like dietary practices and hygiene.
- Infrastructure gaps in some Anganwadi Centres.
- Hidden Hunger – Micronutrient deficiency despite adequate calories
- Intergenerational Cycle of Malnutrition – Undernourished mother leds to low birth weight child leads to lifelong disadvantage.
What steps could be taken further?
- Strengthen Last-Mile Delivery – Focus on capacity building of Anganwadi Workers and infrastructure gaps.
- Enhance Behavioural Change Strategies – Deepen community engagement and awareness.
- Leverage Technology Further – Improve digital access and data utilisation for policy decisions.
- Focus on Quality of Nutrition – Ensure consistent supply of diverse and fortified foods.
- Inter-sectoral Convergence – Strengthen coordination across health, education, and sanitation sectors.
- Targeted Interventions – Focus on high-burden districts and vulnerable populations.
- Monitoring and Evaluation – Continuous assessment for evidence-based policy refinement.
What lies ahead?
- POSHAN Abhiyaan and its evolution into Mission Poshan 2.0 represent a comprehensive and integrated approach to tackling malnutrition in India.
- By combining nutrition, health, education, technology, and community participation, the mission lays a strong foundation for building a healthy and productive population.
- Sustained efforts in convergence, governance innovation, and behavioural change will be crucial in achieving the vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
- Since it is a centrally sponsored scheme the success depends on the state capacity and, local governance.
- There should be competitiveness and cooperative federalism among the states.
- Nutrition is not just a health issue, but a multi-dimensional development issue.
- It is linked with poverty, gender inequality, sanitation, and food systems.
Reference
PIB| Mission Poshan Abhiyaan
