New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi will launch the month-long ninth Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 on September 9 in Varanasi with the aim of improving nutrition and health of women, children and adolescents, an official said on Monday.
The launch event will be held at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi, where the Union Minister would be joined by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur and Ministers and officials from the state, an official statement said.
Observed every September since its launch in 2018, Rashtriya Poshan Maah has grown into a Jan Andolan that mobilises communities to strengthen nutrition, health and caregiving behaviours among women, children and adolescents, the statement said.
Guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a ‘Suposhit Bharat’ to lay the foundation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 will celebrate 10 years of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), the flagship maternity benefit programme that has supported maternal nutrition and health-seeking behaviour for a decade as a fifth theme.
A 100 per cent saturation drive will enrol all eligible pregnant and lactating women, expedite Direct Benefit Transfers, and launch a PMMVY Toolkit for localisation by state and Union Territories (UTs), the statement said.
The launch programme will open with a walkthrough of the Poshan Mela by the dignitaries and the lighting of the lamp.
Beneficiary testimonial videos on hot cooked meals, take home ration, home visits and early childhood care and education will be screened, followed by a live interaction between the Union Minister and the anganwadi workers.
Films marking 10 years of PMMVY and the Poshan Maah 2026 launch will set the stage for the dignitaries to formally launch the campaign.
Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 will be observed across all states and UTs through community events at Anganwadi centres, schools, panchayats and households, reaffirming that a well-nourished child is the shared responsibility of every citizen and the surest foundation of a Viksit Bharat.
–IANS
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