The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, will soon launch a district-wise survey in Tamil Nadu to ascertain the nutrition level of children in the State.
Speaking to Express on the sidelines of a panel discussion on Friday, director of the institute, B Sesikeran, said the survey, to be funded entirely by the State government, will begin in the next “two or three months.”
According to him, such a survey had already been conducted by NIN in Madhya Pradesh. Sesikeran said that the survey to be conducted in TN would be a comprehensive one, with data collected from all districts. “Each district would be divided into several zones and villages in all zones are expected to be sampled,” he said. While the institute will conduct the survey, it would be assisted by the respective departments of the State government.
He said TN was doing “much better” than most of the States, given its efficient PDS and a rigorous mid-day meal scheme. He said the institute was also on the verge of testing a toor dal variety that a firm in TN has developed with fortified iron content.