Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh
Mains level : Malnutrition elimination strategies in India
The Union Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) has announced Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh (BPKK).
Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh
- The Harvard Chan School of Public Health through its India Research Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will document and evaluate promising regional dietary practices.
- The BPKK will be a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones in India for better nutritional outcomes.
- In consultation with Ministry of WCD and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project team will select around 12 high focus states which are representative of the geographical, social, economic, cultural and structural diversities of India.
- In each of the states or group of states the team will identify a local partner organization which has relevant work experience in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) and nutrition for developing the food atlas.
Why such move?
- The, two other approaches are required to complement the Government’s efforts to promote healthy dietary practices.
- One, addressing the challenge of malnutrition at such a vast scale requires a basic understanding of the social, behavioural and cultural practices that promote and reinforce healthy dietary behaviours both at the individual and community level.
- Two, creating the first ever data base that links relevant agro-food system data at the district, with an aim to map the diversity of native crop varieties that will be more cost-effective and sustainable over the long run.