India has extended the Fortified Rice Scheme until 2028 with a budget of ₹17,082 crore to combat anaemia and malnutrition through PM POSHAN and nutrition programs across various sectors.
National Strategy Rooted in Nutrition Reform
India has significantly increased its efforts to fight anaemia and malnutrition through the rollout of fortified rice and other nutrient-enhanced food staples under government schemes. The extension of the Fortified Rice Scheme until December 2028 aims to improve the nutritional status of the population, especially school children, adolescent girls, and women, with a substantial budget allocation.
From Pilot to Universal Coverage
- The journey began with the Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) initiative in 2018.
- A pilot for rice fortification was initiated in 2019.
- A nationwide rollout was approved in 2022.
- All custom-milled rice distributed under food safety net schemes will be fortified by March 2024.
PM POSHAN Scheme: Fortification in School Meals
Under the PM POSHAN Scheme, fortified rice enriched with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12 is used to prepare meals for school children to address micronutrient deficiencies.
Additional Fortified Ingredients Used
- Double Fortified Salt (DFS): Contains Iron and Iodine to combat anaemia and goitre.
- Fortified Edible Oil: Enriched with Vitamins A & D to prevent common vitamin deficiencies.
NDDB’s Gift Milk Programme
The NDDB’s Gift Milk programme provides fortified milk to children in schools to enhance their nutrition intake and promote dairy consumption.
Program Highlights
- 7.10 lakh litres of fortified milk distributed.
- Reaching 41,700 children in 257 schools across 11 states.
- 35.4 lakh child milk days supported.
Targeted Fortification for Women and Adolescents
Fortified rice has been included in the Wheat-Based Nutrition Programme (WBNP) and Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) to improve the nutritional intake among women and adolescent girls.
Key Elements of the Schemes
- Focus on Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12 for maternal and adolescent health.
- Combatting micronutrient deficiencies leading to fatigue, poor immunity, and developmental disorders.
Enabling Infrastructure: Food Processing Sector Support
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries supports food manufacturing and fortification efforts through various schemes like PMKSY, PLISFPI, and PMFME to enhance supply chain efficiency and boost fortified food production.
Infrastructure Support Programs
- Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY)
- Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI)
- PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME)
Key Takeaways for Competitive Exams
- India extends Fortified Rice Scheme until 2028 to tackle anaemia and malnutrition.
- Fortified rice distributed under key government schemes like TPDS, PM POSHAN, and ICDS.
- PM POSHAN Scheme focuses on using fortified rice in school meals to address micronutrient deficiencies.
- Additional fortified ingredients like DFS and fortified edible oil are used to combat deficiencies.
- NDDB’s Gift Milk Programme supports children’s nutrition through fortified milk distribution.
- Targeted fortification in WBNP and SAG aims to improve women and adolescent health.
- Food Processing Sector supported by MoFPI to enhance fortified food production.
