POSHAN Abhiyaan for a Malnutrition Free India

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POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission (NNM) will synergise governmental bodies and key sectors of the economy, resulting in reshaping the nutritional landscape of India.

Abstract: To achieve malnutrition-free status, India’s development agenda needs to tackle its ‘double burden’ of malnutrition, under-nutrition and obesity at the same time. It is in this context that the POSHAN Abhiyaan provides an opportunity to counter malnutrition and usher in a new era in food and nutrition security.

The author is Transform Nutrition Champion and Country Director, Project Concern International. bkar@pciglobal.org. The article should be cited as Kar B., 2019. POSHAN Abhiyaan for a Malnutrition Free India, Geography and You, 19 (24): 20-25


Term Power

What is ...

Anthropogenic activities mean human activities which affect nature. These activities cause changes in nature which would not have been possible without human influence.

Bio-fortification is the process by which nutrient levels in crops is improved during plant growth rather than during processing of the crops.

Family food basket is a term for a set of food items used by a population which is sufficient to adequately cover the energy requirements of each member of the family.

Food deficit is defined as the intensity of food deprivation in a country. Intensity of food deprivation is the number of people whose dietary intake falls short of the minimum requirement.

The Green Revolution is an umbrella term for a number of successful agricultural experiments in the 1960’s that drastically improved agricultural production, especially in developing countries.

Groundwater is water that seeps into the ground and accumulates underneath. Groundwater depletion is the result of long-term water-level declines caused by sustained and unrestrained groundwater pumping.

A landrace is an agricultural plant species that has been grown in a specific local environment over a long period of time and has adapted to the environmental conditions of the area of cultivation.

The term micronutrient is used to describe vitamins and minerals as opposed to macronutrients which include proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The human body requires smaller amounts of micronutrients relative to macronutrients.

Stunting is the impaired growth and development of children mostly due to poor nutrition. 38 per cent of Indian children younger than 5 years of age are stunted.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals and 169 targets adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all people by 2030.

Wasting, or low weight for height, is a result of malnutrition. It is a strong predicator for mortality among children under the age of 5. 20 per cent of Indian children under 5 years of age suffer from wasting due to acute undernutrition.