Govt’s Poshan Abhiyan: Improving nutrition outcomes

New Delhi: The ICDS-CAS (Common Application Software) has been specially designed to strengthen the Service Delivery System as well as the mechanism for Real Time Monitoring (RTM) for nutritional outcomes by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.

To explain the fresh approach, the Ministry will organize a day-long Seminar on Technology Partnerships for Steering POSHAN Abhiyaan called ‘TECH-THON’ for POSHAN Abhiyaan – PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment on 28th June, 2018 at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi.

Briefing the media on the upcoming POSHAN Abhiyaan TECH-THON, Women and Child Development, Secretary Mr Rakesh Srivastava said that it looks at improving the nutrition outcomes through effective monitoring, timely intervention and also act as a fact-based decision-making tool.

WCD Secretary said that the Seminar is being organised to showcase and orient the environment towards the initiative, exchange ideas and to explore avenues of cooperation and partnerships for technology support, as well as, reaching-out to the beneficiaries for effective behavioural change to initiate a ‘Peoples Movement’ or Jan Andolan towards Nutrition. He said that Convergence and use of Technology are the two hallmarks of POSHAN Abhiyaan. The Abhiyaan lays-down specific targets to be achieved across different monitoring parameters over the next few years. Never before has nutrition been given such prominence at the highest level in the country.

WCD Secretary said that currently 550 districts have been covered under the Abhiyaan. To ensure a holistic approach, all 36 States/UTs and 718 districts will be covered in a phased manner by the year 2020.

WCD Joint Secretary and Mission Director for POSHAN Abhiyaan, Dr Rajesh Kumar shared details about the working of ICDS-CAS through a presentation. By the year 2020, the application will be rolled out across 14 lakh Anganwadis and impact 10 Crore beneficiaries. It is currently the largest e-Nutrition & Health programme in the World having 1.1 lakh data entry devices with frontline functionaries across 7 States (Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) enabling a footprint of 95 lakh plus beneficiaries.

The POSHAN Abhiyaan empowers the frontline functionaries i.e. Anganwadi Workers and Lady Supervisors by providing them with Smartphones. The Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) especially developed for this purpose enables data capture, ensures assigned service delivery and prompts for interventions wherever required. This data is then available in near real time to the supervisory staff from Sector, Block, District, State to National level through a Dashboard, for monitoring

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 8thMarch, 2018 in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. The programme through use of technology, targeted approach and convergence strives to reduce the level of Stunting, Under-nutrition, Anemia and Low Birth Weight in Children, as also, focus on Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers, thus holistically addressing malnutrition.

By synergising frontline functionaries and volunteers like, DAY-NRLM Self help groups,ANMs,Co-operatives, Swasth Bharat Preraks etc., the Ministry is planning to reach 11 crore people and thereby convert the mission into Jan Andolan

The Seminar will witness the presence of Ministers, top policy makers of Government of India and States/UTs, participants from multilateral partner institutions like UNICEF, World Bank, WHO, WFP etc, the partners of MWCD – Tata Trust, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) etc, Philanthropic Private Sectors (viz CSR) and Civil Society Organizations. Moreover, leading experts from a range of fields will be present to lead panel discussions and share insights on addressing avenues of cooperation and partnerships for technology support.

The WCD Minister Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi and Minister of State for WCD, Dr. Virendra Kumar will be present in the Seminar. Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog will inaugurate the Seminar and launch the Jan Andolan Guidelines of POSHAN Abhiyaan. Secretaries of convergent Central Ministries will also be present during the course of the day-long seminar to discuss technology and also share an overview about POSHAN Abhiyaan. Seminar will also be attended by the Secretaries of State WCD/Social Justice Department, Director in-charge of ICDS/POSHAN Abhiyaan and nodal officer of the States/UTs.

An exhibition will also be organised showcasing the technology and other materials of POSHAN Abhiyaan in the gallery of Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra. Approximately 300 participants are expected to grace the Seminar.