This document summarizes several key community nutrition programs run by the Indian government: 1) Vitamin A prophylaxis and programs to prevent nutritional anemia distribute supplements to at-risk groups through local health workers. 2) The National Goitre Control Program provides iodized salt to reduce iodine deficiency in endemic areas. 3) Special nutrition programs and balwadi nutrition programs provided supplementary food to young children, mothers, and tribal/backward areas, now merged with ICDS. 4) The Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) provides a strong nutritional component through various supplements and the mid-day meal program aims to improve school enrollment and nutrition.

1. Community Nutrition
Programmes
Dr Nikhil Bansal
J.N.M.C.,Wardha

2. Vitamin A prophylaxis Programme
1970
• Comes under Ministry of Health & Family welfare.
• Under the National program for control of blindness
adminstration of a single massive dose of Vit A containing
200,000 IU of Retinol Palmitate orally to all preschool kids
in community every 6 months through peripheral health
workers is recommended.
• A flexible strategy combining short term, medium & long
term interventions with nutritional education has been
adopted.

3. Prophylaxis against Nutritional Anemia
1969 – 4th five year plan
• Comes under Ministry of Health & Family welfare
• This program includes distribution of iron & folic acid tabs
to pregnant women and children up to age of 12 years.
• Services are provided through MCHC in urban areas, PHC in
rural areas & also through ICDS program.
• Iron fortification of common Salt has also been accepted by
GOI as a public health approach. Strategies of changing
dietary habits, control of parasites , & nutritional education
have been promoted.

4. National Goitre Control Program
1962
• Comes under Ministry of Health & Family welfare
• Objective is to identify Goitre endemic areas & to
supply iodised salt in place of common salt & to
assess the impact of program over a period of time.
• The level of Iodization is fixed under PFA act.
• “2 in 1 salt” - NIH, Hyderabad has come out with a
new salt fortified with both iron & iodine.
• Iodized oil injection in safflower, oral oil, sodium
iodate tabs have also been used an alternate method

5. Special Nutrition Program
1970
• Comes under Ministry of Social Welfare, now merged
with ICDS program
• Started for the benefit of Children below 6yrs, pregnant
& nursing mothers and is in operation in urban slums ,
tribal & other backward areas.
• Supplementary feed of about 300Kcal & 10-12 grams of
protien per child per day. About 500 Kcal & 25 grams of
protien to beneficiary mother.
• Supplement is provided for atleast for 300days a year.

6. Balwadi Nutrition Program
1970
• Comes under Ministry of Social Welfare
• Started for the benefit of children b/w 3 – 6 yrs.
• Program is implemented with the help of Balwadis
who also provide pre-primary education to these
children.
• This program is being phased out due to
universalisation of ICDS.

7. Integrated Child Development Scheme
• Launched in 1975, ICDS Comes under Ministry of Social
Welfare
• Program is provided with a strong nutritional
component in form of Fe & folic acid tabs, Vit A
prophylaxis, & supplementary nutrition.
• Beneficaries are preschool children, adolescent girls ,
pregnant & lactating mothers.
• Services are delivered by AWW, Mahila Mandals, work is
supervised by Mukhyasevikas, CDPO respectively

8. Mid Day Meal Program
1961
• Comes under Ministry of Education
• Main obj. is to attract more children for admission to
schools & retain them for literacy improvement.
• A model menu has been provided by National
Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
• Food is to be provided for 250 days per years.
• Other imp goals to be achieved are : Reorientation of
eating habits, incorporating nutritional education in
curriculum, encouraging use of local commodities

9. Mid Day Meal Scheme
• Centrally sponsered Started on 15th Aug95, revised in 04
• Objective is to universalise primary education by
increasing enrollment, retention, attendance &
impacting nutrition of students
• Central assistance was in the form of free grain supply, &
transport from FCI godown at subsidised rates. Around
100g per student/day for all children in class I to V.