Poshan Abhiyan Scheme: Features, Significance, Concern

Poshan Abhiyan Scheme

The central government plans to celebrate nutrition week from September 1 to 7, 2022. So all the nutrition and food schemes of our country are discussed and evaluate their success rates over the period.

The Poshan Abhiyaan scheme was launched on March 8, 2018, in Rajasthan. Poshan Abhiyaan, or the National Nutrition Mission (NNM), is the Government of India's prime program to improve the nutritional conditions of pregnant women, children, lactating mothers, and children from 0 to 6 years of age.

The Poshan Abhiyaan scheme (PPS) plays a crucial role in overcoming malnutrition and providing well-cooked meals to children. This scheme replaced the national wide mid-day meals in public or government-aided schools.

This is an article for candidates attempting the WBCS Exam or any other government exam in West Bengal. 

Features of the Poshan Abhiyan Scheme

PM POSHAN Abhiyan Scheme is a centrally funded scheme that has been launched for 5 years, from 2021 to 2026, with an estimated budget of Rs 1.31 trillion. The central government bears the entire cost of the food, their management and transportation under the scheme, but the components such as cooking costs and salary to cooks and workers are split in the ratio of 60:40 with the state.

Coverage

The Poshan Abhiyan Scheme 2021 aims to help about 11.80 crores of children studying in 11.20 lakh schools in our country. Under this prestigious scheme, mid-day meals have been extended to the children of Anganwadi and the students studying in classes I to VIII in public and government-aided schools in our country.

The extension of mid-day meals to pre-primary school students was a prime recommendation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Vocal for Local for Atmanirbhar Bharat

The PM Poshan Abhiyan Scheme will involve the Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), and Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in implementing the Poshan scheme to help the local community and achieve the objectives of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Social Audit

To monitor the implementation of the Poshan scheme, social audits will be made mandatory for each school in every state district. It seeks the help of college students to monitor the implementation of the Poshan scheme through field visits.

Nutritional Garden

It will encourage the development of nutrition gardens and vegetable farms in the school, which will be used to provide additional micronutrients and minerals to the students. The school will also be encouraged to conduct cooking competitions and design the food menu based on the vegetables available in local markets and gardens.

Supplementary Nutrition

The Poshan scheme provides the state or district with a high prevalence of anaemia, including any supplementary food item. If the state wants to incorporate local vegetables or other nutritional food such as fruit or milk, they can include them in the list with the centre's approval.

Tithi Bhojan

The Poshan Abhiyan scheme has also incorporated the concept of Tithi Bhojan, in which the students from the private schools will be encouraged to share their mid-day meals with the children from the marginalized section or backward community at least once a month voluntarily. Tithi bhojan is a voluntary community participation program in which people provide special food to students at special festivals or occasions.

Nutrition Expert

Per the scheme, A nutrition expert is appointed in each school whose responsibility is to regularly conduct check-ups such as weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), haemoglobin levels, etc.

Poshan Tracker Application

A mobile Application was launched to improve and bring transparency to nutrition delivery 

services. It enables real-time tracking and monitoring of all Anganwadi/ Balavatika centres (AWC), Anganwadi workers, and beneficiaries.

Also, read Midday Meal Scheme

Pillars of Poshan Abhiyaan Scheme

Poshan Abhiyaan Scheme, or National Nutrition Mission, has 5 pillars are-

• Poshan Abhiyaan ICDS-Common Application Software (CAS)

The Poshan Abhiyaan ICDS-CAS is a mobile-based application that helps field workers deliver work and monitor the programs at the Anganwadis /Balavatikas across the state and national levels. The Poshan Abhiyan also plans to use IT-enabled Call Centres to strengthen citizens' involvement in the nutrition programme.

• Convergence Action Planning

This includes developing and operationalizing a Convergence Nutrition Action Plan at state and national levels to support coordinated and cross-sectoral efforts to improve nutrition outcomes.

It includes all critical line departments contributing to nutrition outcomes, such as water sanitation, health and family, rural development, and education.

• Capacity Building of Poshan Abhiyaan ICDS officers/functionaries through the Incremental Learning Approach (ILA)

Anganwadi or Balavatika workers are working in an efficiency-building program using the existing supervisor's meetings.

• Jan Andolan (Behaviour Change Communication and Community Mobilisation)

This means creating the strategy to focus on developing and operationalizing mass media communication and community-based campaigns to create scheme awareness among the people on key technical areas, which include complimentary feeding, antenatal care and breastfeeding, growth monitoring and promotion, anaemia prevention, diarrhoea management, immunization and Vitamin A, sanitation and hygiene practices.

It also focuses on multiple stakeholders, including drinking water and sanitation, health and family welfare, rural development, school education, Panchayati raj institutions, and self-help groups (SHG).

• Performance Incentives

In addition to efficiency building, improving service delivery should also be planned in this scheme.

Also read: Arth Ganga Project

National Nutrition Mission (NNM) - Poshan Maah

Poshan Maah of Poshan Abhiyaan was celebrated in September 2021. The main aim was to create public awareness about the importance of nutrition among the people, and the main focus area of the Poshan Maah was on social and behavioural change and communication, which helped to build awareness through assertive and proper dialogue.

• The POSHAN MAAH is mainly based on optimal breastfeeding, anaemia, antenatal care, growth monitoring, i.e. height, hygiene, diet, sanitation, girls' education, eating healthy, etc.
• Over 60 million men, 120 million women, and 130 million children reached out to implement the Poshan Maah Scheme effectively. It was a highly successful event and reached more than 30 crore beneficiaries in just thirty days.

Targets of the Poshan Abhiyaan Scheme

The Poshan Abhiyaan Scheme aims to target the following -

• Reduce under-nutrition of beneficiaries by 2% annually
• Reduce stunting of children by 2% annually. 
• Reduce low birth weight by 2% yearly.
• Reduce anaemia by 3% yearly

Importance of the Poshan Abhiyaan Scheme

The tagline of the PM Poshan Abhiyaan scheme is Sahi Poshan Desh Roshan, which means that this scheme aims to provide adequate nutrition to pregnant ladies, infants and lactating mothers. Poshan Abhiyaan Scheme is a great scheme that helps to overcome the micronutrient and malnutrition problems in the youth of India. It also helps fulfil the targets of sustainable development goals such as no hunger, zero poverty, good health and well-being, etc.

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