NEW DELHI: The centre on Wednesday called on people to make nutrition a true Jan Andolan in achieving the goal of malnutrition-free India.
Speaking at the launch of the 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026, Union Women and Child Development Minister, Annpurna Devi, emphasised the role of community in improving dietary diversity, adequate protein intake, fresh hot cooked meals, sanitation and early childhood development.
Launching the month-long national campaign ‘Hamari Anganwadi, Hamari Jimmedari,' at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre (RICCC), Varanasi, she said the government is committed to improving nutrition outcomes through Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
She highlighted the important role of community participation in improving dietary diversity, adequate protein intake, fresh hot cooked meals, sanitation, and early childhood development and called upon citizens to make nutrition a true Jan Andolan in pursuit of the vision of a Suposhit Bharat and Viksit Bharat@2047.
The minister said that more than 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres are currently delivering nutrition, health and early childhood care services to over 7.5 crore children, 1.10 crore pregnant and lactating women, and nearly 16 lakh adolescent girls.
Emphasizing the importance of the first 1,000 days of life, the minister noted that the government is upgrading 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres into Saksham Anganwadis, of which around 24,000 centres have been approved in Uttar Pradesh.
She also highlighted that the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has completed ten years of implementation and has so far transferred more than Rs 21,000 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to over 4.65 crore mothers across the country.
The national campaign was jointly launched by Devi, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, and other central and state officials, development partners, frontline workers and beneficiaries.
In his address, the UP CM highlighted the transformative role of Anganwadi Centres in advancing the objectives of Poshan Abhiyaan and strengthening grassroots nutrition services.
Yogi emphasized that sustained convergence between departments, active community participation and the dedication of frontline workers are critical to achieving the goal of a malnutrition-free India.
Recalling the significant improvements made over the years, he noted that Anganwadi Centres have been upgraded and renovated into vibrant community institutions with improved infrastructure and learning environments.
He further stated that Anganwadi Workers have been equipped with smartphones, enabling real-time data entry and improved service delivery through digital monitoring.
Highlighting the strengthening of supplementary nutrition services, he observed that Anganwadi Centres are now regularly providing Hot Cooked Meals (HCM) and Take Home Ration (THR) to eligible beneficiaries, contributing to better nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers across the state.
He said that the investment in nutrition never goes waste, as it yields lifelong benefits in the form of healthier children, empowered families and a stronger nation.
Speaking on the occasion, Thakur, called upon communities, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Self-Help Groups and families to actively participate in the nutrition movement and strengthen grassroots delivery of nutrition and childcare services.
WCD Secretary, Anil Malik, emphasized that Poshan Abhiyaan has evolved from a government programme into a nationwide Jan Andolan, and the next phase must deepen community ownership and accountability.
He stressed the need to translate institutional and technological strengthening into improved service quality at every Anganwadi Centre.
Since the launch of Poshan Abhiyaan in 2018, more than 150 crore Jan Andolan activities have been conducted through Poshan Maah, Poshan Pakhwada and other community engagement initiatives.
The Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 will be observed across the country from September 9 to 8 October with focused activities on dietary diversity and adequate protein intake; fresh hot cooked meals at Anganwadi Centres; community ownership through Anganwadi Management Committees and SNP Menu Boards; nutrition and early stimulation for childhood development and 10 Years of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
The month-long campaign aims to deepen community engagement with Anganwadi Centres and promote collective action towards improved nutrition, maternal health and early childhood development, reinforcing the vision of a Suposhit Bharat.
