Getting Nutrition Back On The School High Table

Context: Society must focus on the nutrition of children to ensure they are armed with good immunity to tackle new challenges after COVID-19.

Nutritional challenges faced before India

• Triple burden of under-nutrition and overweight/obesity coexisting with deficiencies of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium and several vitamins.
• Compromised immune function, due to malnutrition, which becomes critical during pandemic times. Eg. Immunity challenge among children.
• Lack of diet diversity leading to imbalanced micronutrient intake or consumption of high carbohydrate and high sugar foods, endangering child’s health and making them vulnerable to infection.
• Negative effect on diet quality due to disruptive social environment factors as restricted movement, constrained socialisation and new normal of dwindling physical contact.
• Indulgence of urban and affluent groups in frequent munching of high-calorie snacks and sweetened beverages that are devoid of beneficial nutrients.

Policy Response: Noon meal scheme i.e. Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana (PM POSHAN)

• PM POSHAN covers students of pre-primary levels or Bal Vatikas of government and government-aided primary schools along with primary and upper primary school children who are already within the ambit of the mid-day meal programme.
• Diet support: It envisages providing 450 Kcal energy and 12g of protein for primary; 700 Kcal and 20g protein for upper primary children through diet diversity and focus on nutri-gardens.
• Monitoring mechanism: Provision of monitoring haemoglobin levels of schoolchildren, appointment of nutritional experts to ensure haemoglobin.
• Special provisions for nutritional items for children in districts with high prevalence of anaemia.
• Involvement of farmer producer organisations and self-help group women will strengthen linkages and convergence for promoting children’s nutrition.

Way forward: Change in approach towards nutrition needs

• To combat hidden hunger, affordable, accessible and diverse food sources must be made available across India.
• Focus on healthy lifestyles like maintaining ideal body weight, regular physical activity, adequate water intake along with adequate sleep and low screen time.
• Schools should be avenues for teaching good nutrition, safe food, and positive lifestyles, as a life skill.