Eighth National Nutrition Month concludes in Dehradun
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 17 Oct: The valedictory ceremony of the eighth Rashtriya Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) 2025 was held at the Himalayan Cultural Centre at Nimbuwala here today. Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur participated in the event as the chief guest. The month-long nationwide campaign, aimed at promoting nutrition awareness and behavioural change through public participation, concluded with a collective call to build a “Suposhit Bharat” (Nourished India) by 2047.
Addressing the gathering, Savitri Thakur said that nutrition is not merely a government programme but a national responsibility and moral commitment towards every mother and child of India. She noted that the Poshan Abhiyaan, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, has evolved into a mass movement uniting citizens and ministries under the shared vision of ‘Empowered Women, Nourished India.’ Emphasising that the first 1,000 days from conception to a child’s second year are crucial for lifelong health, she said that a healthy mother gives birth to a strong generation, and a balanced meal in every household leads to a strong nation.
Thakur remarked that this year’s campaign was particularly inclusive, as men and youth also participated alongside women. She underscored that the children of a nourished India today will become the empowered citizens of 2047.
Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Love Agrawal, presented progress under Mission Poshan 2.0, citing how real-time digital monitoring and modern tools have improved transparency and service delivery. He informed that through 14 lakh Anganwadi centres across 36 states and union territories, services are being provided to over 10 crore beneficiaries, including children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls. Over 13 lakh Anganwadi workers have been equipped with smartphones linked to the Poshan Tracker App, ensuring accurate data collection and timely nutritional support.
Agrawal noted that indicators of malnutrition have shown significant improvement, with stunting dropping from 38.4percent to 35.5 percent and underweight prevalence from 35.8 percent to 32.1 percent, according to the National Family Health Survey-5.
State’s Minister for Women Empowerment and Child Development Rekha Arya also lauded the Poshan Tracker for ensuring transparency and accountability at the grassroots. Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Ganesh Joshi highlighted the decline in anaemia cases under the Prime Minister’s leadership and termed the International Year of Millets 2023 a game changer for both nutrition and local agriculture.
During the event, Savitri Thakur also visited an exhibition organised by the Uttarakhand Women Empowerment and Child Development Department, interacting with Anganwadi workers and appreciating local millet-based products such as kodo, kauni, and jhangora. She also honoured Poshan and Mission Shakti Champions and distributed Mahalakshmi Kits to adolescent girls. Under the Chief Minister Vatsalya Yojana, she transferred Rs 1 crore 56 lakh 33 thousand via Direct Benefit Transfer to 5,211 beneficiaries.
A video message from Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi was also played, in which she said that the goal of Poshan Abhiyaan is to ensure that every child is healthy and every mother empowered. She attributed the success of the campaign to the dedication of Anganwadi workers and officials across the country.
