Previous Year Question
Which of the following are the objectives of the ‘National Nutrition Mission’?
To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1 and 2 only
1, 2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 4 only
3 and 4 only
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. One of the principal objectives of the National Nutrition Mission is to create awareness among pregnant women and lactating mothers regarding malnutrition, balanced diets, antenatal care, breastfeeding and infant nutrition.
Statement 2 is correct. The Mission explicitly seeks to reduce the prevalence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women. Anaemia is not associated only with iron deficiency; deficiency of folate and Vitamin B12, infections and poor dietary quality can also cause it.
The National Nutrition Mission was subsequently implemented as POSHAN Abhiyaan, which was launched at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on 8 March 2018. Its specified annual targets included:
Reducing stunting among children by 2 percentage points per year.
Reducing undernutrition among children by 2 percentage points per year.
Reducing anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women by 3 percentage points per year.
Reducing low birth weight by 2 percentage points per year.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice can be useful components of a nutritious diet, but promoting their consumption was not specified as a separate and explicit objective of the National Nutrition Mission mentioned in the question.
Statement 4 is also incorrect. Eggs are sources of protein and micronutrients, but promoting the consumption of poultry eggs was not separately prescribed as an official objective of the Mission.