Dr D Parthasarathy / HSS Department ( IIT-B )
Prof Narendra Shah, professor, CTARA
Dear Professors,
Yesterday, I came across the following news report in Hindustan Time :
IIT-Bombay researchers develop fortified food to reduce malnutrition
- Which reads :
Ø Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay have created a combination of fortified foods that can help reduce malnutrition among children. Micronutrient Fortified Foods (MFF) are foods enriched with micronutrients including vitamins and minerals.
Ø Researchers found that MFF premix packets were more efficient in reducing malnutrition as compared to the packets distributed by the state government. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed Pediatric Oncall Journal last year.
Ø Almost 69% deaths in children below the age of five in India are caused by malnutrition, a 2019 Unicef report found. The government of India has launched a flurry of schemes to address malnutrition among children including mid-day meal scheme. However, these schemes are more suitable for children in rural areas, said experts.
Ø One of the measures is to provide soya flour or gram flour fortified with micronutrients such as zinc, iron and calcium and vitamins A and C. These flours are distributed as take-home rations which are prepared and eaten as porridge at home. The bag of flour is often shared among the family.
Ø “The fact that malnutrition has not substantially reduced in Maharashtra can be a basis for developing alternatives for the take-home rations. It can be a basis to look for other follow up mechanisms to bring down malnutrition,” said Narendra Shah, professor, CTARA, [
nshah@iitb.ac.in ] who is one of the first authors of the study
Congratulations on your humamitarian initiative and breakthrough achievement
Sending my following e-mail, thinking that it provides the RIGHT PERSPECTIVE to this serious problem of malnutrition among kds
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
hcp@RecruitGuru.com / Mumbai
From: Hemen Parekh [mailto:hcp@recruitguru.com]
Sent: 31 July 2021 14:09
To: 'cabinetjuly2021@recruitguru.
==============================
Subject: SALUTING SMT IRANIJI : MOTHER TO 4 CRORE MALNOURISHED KIDS
A Tale of Two Shames ?
One is about use of software Pegasus to { allegedly } , snooping on unsuspecting citizen for unspecified / assumed anti-national behaviors
Other is :
Over 9 Lakh Children Suffer Severely Acute Malnutrition, States Centre; 3.98 Lakh From UP / Republic world
Extract :
Ø Over 9,27,606 children are Severely Acute Malnourished in India as of 30 November 2020, revealed Union Mister for Women and Child development Smriti Irani on Thursday, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.
Ø Irani further revealed that of the 9 lakh+ children, 3,98,359 are from the State of Uttar Pradesh. In reply to AAP MP Sanjay Singh, Irani stated that under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), supplementary nutrition is provided to these children.
Ø To counter malnourishment among children in the age group of 0-6 years, Irani stated that the POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched on 8th March, 2018. Under the newly launched Mission Poshan 2.0, Irani stated that pregnant women and lactating mothers were focused upon to provide nutritional content.
Ø As per the data, while Rs 5312.79 crores have been released to states/UTs from 2017-18 to 2020-21, only Rs. 2985.56 crores ( 56 % ) , have been utilised up to 31 March, 2021.
Dalit Children more likely to be stunted, shows study / TOI / 30 July
Extract :
Ø That India has the highest number of stunted children in the world ( 40.6 million children, as per NFHS data ) representing one-third of the global total of stunted children under the age of five, is well known
Ø Now, a data narrative published by Ashoka University’s Centre for Economic Data and Analysis shows that stunting is much more likely among Dalit children in areas where caste-based un-touchability is higher, such as the BIMARU states ( Bihar-Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh )
Ø In their paper titled “ The Missing Piece of the Puzzle: Caste Discrimination and Stunting “, authors Ashwini Deshpande and Rajesh Ramchandran found that rates of stunting are far lower among upper caste Hindus as compared to SC/STs, OBCs, UC Muslims
Ø The stunting incidence was 26 % for children of upper caste Hindus as compared to 31 % of children in SSA
Ø In comparison, 40 % children belonging to SC / ST communities suffered from stunting, 36 % from OBC communities and 35 % from the upper caste Muslim community
My Take :
Ø British ruled over India for 150 years. Under leadership of Mahatmaji, it took us ( the public ), 20 years of fight to win our freedom
Ø Imagine, the only technologies used were “ Non-Violence / Satyagraha / Non-cooperation “
Ø Next year, under our own – and democratically elected – rulers, we will celebrate 75th year of our Independence
Ø But , we are not anywhere near to win our “ Liberation “ from malnutrition ( - euphemism for starvation ) – despite slogans like, “ Garibi Hatao / No child will go to bed hungry “ etc
Ø In my opinion , this ( failure ) is a matter of SHAME , far bigger than Pegasus !
Ø All the more so, because , those very same MOBILE APP TECHNOLOGIES which power Pegasus , can be employed to liberate us from malnutrition ( and, within 2 years – not 20 years )
Ø Following is the history of my efforts to persuade our Policy Makers to use MOBILE technology to win this WAR against malnutrition :
Ø Two Indias ………………………………………………………………………[ 26 April 2011 ]
Extract :
# 435 million Indians [ 36 % of 1210 million population ] are below poverty line, unable to spend
even Rs.12 ( $ 0.21 ) per day on food / clothing / shelter
# For this “ Second “ India comprising the remaining 36%, it is starvation from birth until death ! To
them a GDP growth rate of 9 % makes no sense !
Ø Agriculture in China ………………………………………………………..[ 02 June 2011 ]
Extract :
And , unlike India ,China does not have 1.6 Million children ( under 5 ) dying each year due to
starvation ( Indian Government likes to call it , “ Malnutrition “ )
Does any political party of India have the courage to include “ Elimination of Starvation “ in it’s
election manifesto , for the forthcoming National Election in 2014 ?
Ø Starving / Dying can be saved ……………………………………………[ 19 Jan 2012 ]
Extract :
We don’t have to become Jains in order to save the starving millions. Just don’t waste food
Ø Hunger is not an Issue ! ……………………………………………………….[ 20 Feb 2012 ]
Extract :
# But hunger is not an issue for any political party during the current State Elections.
How about promising “ hunger quotas “ according to age – groups ?
Model Code of Conduct does not cover this !
==============================
Ø Saving 1.2 million Kids ……………………………………………………………[ 29 June 2016 ]
Extract :
# That leaves 20 million who do not go to school , hopelessly malnourished
How can we ensure that they get some nutritious food every day ?
If there is a will , there is a way - the following way :
( A ) …. FOOD
( B )….. PACKING
( C )…… MANUFACTURERS
( D )…… DELIVERY POINTS
( E ) ……TECHNOLOGY
* Each NEUTRA-KID bar wrapper will have a bar-code ( till such time inserting RFID sensors
become a reality )
* Bar code will carry all normal instructions + Delivery Destination ( Post Office )
* Each NEUTRA-KID bar will pass thru a Bar Code Reader on the Assembly Line , before dispatch
* Info collected thru this reader will get transmitted to the Central Server of concerned Ministries
* After taking his / her weight and entering in a online Database , hosted on the Central Server of
the concerned Ministries, each targeted child will get registered at the nearest Post Office
* Each registered child will be issued a blue tooth enabled Smart phone, duly pre-installed with a
Mobile App called " BANMALI "( Banish Malnutrition in India ) , in which Child's data / Aadhar No
will be entered
* Every day , the concerned child ( and parent ) will visit the post office to collect the NEUTRA-KID
Bar
* Before handing over bar, child will be weighed on a weighing machine and the weight entered in
BANMALI
The weight record graph will appear on the screen of the PC located at the Post Office ( Blue Tooth )
* This record will also get transmitted ( of course , automatically ) to the COMMUNITY HEALTH
CENTRE where the concerned child is " registered " ( this will be compulsory in order to be eligible
for this Scheme )
* Every time , a child is taken for his/her monthly HEALTH CHECK UP ( also compulsory in order to
receive next month's NEUTRA-KID bars ) , concerned doctor will examine the child and enter his
findings in BANMALI
Doctor will be required to enter medicines prescribed as also, increase / decrease in the QUOTA of
NEUTRA- KID bars recommended for the next month
All of these data will get relayed to the Central Servers of the concerned Ministries
Ø A Mobile App named " BANMALI "………………………………… [ 15 Sept 2016 ]
Extract :
# All over the country , there must be SEVERAL CRORE children covered under ICDS scheme
# It would benefit all the States - and the Centre - to consider my suggestion for a
COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION of malnutrition among children thru implementation of Mobile App
" BANMALI "
Ø BANMALI is the TOTAL SOLUTION …………………………………..[ 14 Nov 2016 ]
Extract :
# Union minister for Women & Child Development Maneka Gandhi wants to put an end to children
consuming empty calories. Instead, she wants them to consume calories rich in nutrition, and her
ministry wants to have sachets containing 600-1000 calories of nutrition for children
# You will notice that my proposal tightly integrates ALL the concerned Agencies through internet enabled
hardware and a SINGLE / COMMON software database , which not only prevents any " Benefit
Leakages " but broadcasts actual " Achievements " ( Weight gain / Reduced Mortality ), instantaneously
, / automatically / transparently
Ø Can Akshay Patra Banish Malnutrition ? ……………………………….[ 05 June 2017 ]
Extract :
# The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO focussing on providing mid-day meals to children, is in talks
with food companies to co-create nutritious recipes and products that can supplement its offerings
under the government’s flagship scheme.
# For instance, with PepsiCo India, the NGO is looking to co-create an OATMEAL-BASED NUTRITIOUS
BAR that can supplement mid-day meals.
==============================
> Thank You Madam Maneka Gandhiji ………………………………………………….[ 21 Dec 2018 ]
Extract :
# For what ?
For accepting my suggestions ( all sent as E Mails to Cabinet Ministers )
# How ?
By launching “ Poshan Abhiyan “ at the hands of Shri Modiji on 08 March 2018
# What is it ?
It is a nutrition scheme that aims to reduce malnutrition among children and mothers
# How does it work ?
Through ICDS – CAS Dashboard
To facilitate the functioning of this dashboard, over 200,000 smartphones have been procured by the
states to aid ‘anganwadis’ in monitoring nutrition levels in children.
· THESE PHONES COME UPLOADED WITH AN APPLICATION THAT FACILITATES REAL-TIME DATA
REPORTING FROM THE GRASS- ROOT LEVEL AND IS EXPECTED TO COME IN HANDY IN DRAWING A
NUTRITION PROFILE OF THE COUNTRY,
Ø BANMALI arrives : Named as Poshan Tracker …………………………[ 17 Apr 2021 ]
Extract :
# Last month, the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of electronics and IT
launched an ambitious data-driven platform called POSHAN TRACKER, to daily monitor the activities of
more than 1.1 million Anganwadi workers
# These workers – spread across the country- are responsible for making sure that pregnant women, infant
as well as young children get adequate hot meals, rations, vaccine doses and medication
# They are also responsible for ensuring early intervention in case of disabilities or flagging other
developmental concerns
# Close to 1 million Anganwadi workers have downloaded the Android App on their smartphones and are
using it DAILY, to key in EVERYDAY STATISTICS
# The project was launched in JANUARY ( 2021 ), and it went live in MARCH
# Since then, 10 LAKH workers have been registered and more than 3 CRORE end beneficiaries have been
Registered
# EACH DAY, data about vaccines and children’s height, weight, MALNUTRITION along with details of
whether infrastructure such as toilets are present, is being uploaded
# Anganwadi workers have to download the APP, which can even e integrated by States for their own programs
in this area
# The DASHBOARD shows,
# Real time data of the attendance of workers
# Number of vaccines
# Hot cooked meals
# Take-Home Rations that are provided
It can be broken down state and district wise
# Every day, a VIDEO-CONFERENCE is held to address any issue faced by these workers or authorities while
using the TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
Related Readings :
Poshan Tracker Update: Find Out Why You Are Unable To Login To The App [ 30 March 2021 ]
POSHAN TRACKER
Helping make India malnutrition free
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