Vice President launches nutrition anthem

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has stressed on the need to focus on ensuring good quality, easily accessible and affordable maternal healthcare services for all women. He said, preventing the early marriage of girls, addressing girl-dropout from schools, delaying first pregnancy and adequate spacing between births will contribute to better nutrition.

New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday launched the 'Bharatiya Poshan Anthem' which aims at taking the message of making India malnutrition-free by 2022 to all corners of the country.

The anthem was conceptualised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, penned by noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi and sung by Shankar Mahadevan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in March 2018 launched the 'Poshan Abhiyan or National Nutrition Mission' with an objective to make India malnutrition free by 2022 by ensuring holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children.

Naidu said it is a matter of concern that 34.7 per cent of Indian children aged less than five are stunted, according to the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016-18.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that our children get the best childhood possible," he said.

The vice president hoped that the 'Poshan anthem' will lead to a nutrition revolution to transform India into a malnutrition-free country by 2022.