ICAR-KVK, N & M Andaman, celebrated the 7th Poshan Pakhwada on 22nd April 2025, aligning with this year’s national focus on addressing malnutrition and promoting nutrition awareness at the grassroots level. The program aimed to sensitize pregnant and lactating women, mothers of children up to 5 years of age, and Anganwadi Workers on the importance of nutrition, health, and dietary diversity for maternal and child well-being.
At the outset, Shri Yatharth Sharma, Subject Matter Specialist (Home Science), welcomed all the participants and highlighted the critical role played by Anganwadi Workers in ensuring mother and child health, especially in rural areas. He also stressed the importance of the First 1000 Days of Life as a vital window for ensuring lifelong health and development. Further he elaborated on the importance of dietary diversity, nutrigarden (Poshan Vatika), and balanced diets for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children. He also explained the significance of this year’s themes such as the popularization of the Poshan Tracker App and the implementation of the CMAM (Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition) Module.
Shri Subam Debroy, Subject Matter Specialist (Aquaculture), spoke on the nutritional importance of fish in the local diet, emphasizing its role as an affordable and rich source of protein and essential micronutrients, particularly valuable for children and expectant mothers in the Andaman region.Shri Rakesh Dawar, Subject Matter Specialist (Agronomy), informed participants about nutrient-rich crops and biofortified varieties suitable for local cultivation, encouraging women to adopt kitchen and nutrition gardens to improve family nutrition and dietary intake.Er. Manoj Kumar,Subject Matter Specialist (Agri. Engg.)briefed on the importance of women’s empowerment in agriculture and rural livelihoods, highlighting how nutritional awareness and participation in income-generating activities contribute to women’s socio-economic upliftment.
Dr. V. Damodaran, Sr. Scientist & Head, ICAR-KVK, N&M Andaman, in his concluding remarks, underscored the importance of incorporating nutrient-dense crops and locally available foods into daily diets to combat malnutrition and lifestyle diseases. He appreciated the efforts of Anganwadi Workers in implementing nutrition initiatives at the grassroots level and encouraged them to continue promoting health awareness in their communities.
The program concluded with an open interaction session, where the team of experts addressed various queries raised by Anganwadi Workers and participating women related to maternal nutrition, child feeding practices, management of malnutrition, and healthy lifestyle habits.The program was organized under the overall guidance of Dr. E. B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-CIARI, Sri Vijayapuram. A total of 28 participants attended the event.