Kurukshetra Magazine August 2023 - 1 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


1 Kurukshetra       August  2023
Page 2


1 Kurukshetra       August  2023 3 Kurukshetra       August  2023
A Journal on Rural Development 
Contents
Vol. 71     |     No. 10     |     Pages 56     |     August 2023
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003  
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 8, Esplanade 
East, Kolkata-700069 (033-22482576) ???????????? Mumbai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi 
Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686) ? Chennai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 
(044-24917673) ? Thiruvananthapuram - BM, Publications Division, Press Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 
(0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - BM, Publications Division, Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 
(040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - BM (I/c), Sales Unit, Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) 
? Patna - BM, Publications Division, Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 (0612-2675823)  
? Lucknow - BM, Publications Division, Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, Ashram 
Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669) 
CHIEF EDITOR 
Manogyan Rani Pal
EDITOR 
Shiela Chaudhary
JOINT DIRECTOR (PRODUCTION)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
COVER DESIGN
Rajender Kumar
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals Unit 
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAX: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play,  
Kobo or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year  :    ` 230
5
19
35
44
5 Adequate Nutrition for Women  
and Children
Dr Santosh Jain Passi
Dr Shipra Gupta
12 Promoting Household Food and 
Nutrition Security
Dr Akanksha Jain
Capt. Parminder Sehgal
44 Shree Anna for Nutritional Wellbeing
Urvashi Prasad
49 Combating Malnutrition 
Achieving Prosperity
Puneet Kumar Ojha
Pankaj Kumar Ojha
30 Millets 
Future Food
S. Sujatha
Dr. CV Ratnavathi
25 Foods that Address Nutritional 
Deficiencies
Rajiv Theodore
19 Nutrition and Health in School 
Education
Purabi Pattanayak
35 Nutritional Management 
Framework for Rural India
Dr. Amiya Kumar Mohapatra
Dr. Nandeesh V Hiremath
39 Rising Maternal Obesity 
Implications and Way Forward
Dr. Preeti Khanna 
Dr. Shweta Khandelwal
Page 3


1 Kurukshetra       August  2023 3 Kurukshetra       August  2023
A Journal on Rural Development 
Contents
Vol. 71     |     No. 10     |     Pages 56     |     August 2023
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003  
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 8, Esplanade 
East, Kolkata-700069 (033-22482576) ???????????? Mumbai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi 
Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686) ? Chennai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 
(044-24917673) ? Thiruvananthapuram - BM, Publications Division, Press Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 
(0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - BM, Publications Division, Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 
(040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - BM (I/c), Sales Unit, Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) 
? Patna - BM, Publications Division, Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 (0612-2675823)  
? Lucknow - BM, Publications Division, Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, Ashram 
Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669) 
CHIEF EDITOR 
Manogyan Rani Pal
EDITOR 
Shiela Chaudhary
JOINT DIRECTOR (PRODUCTION)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
COVER DESIGN
Rajender Kumar
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals Unit 
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAX: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play,  
Kobo or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year  :    ` 230
5
19
35
44
5 Adequate Nutrition for Women  
and Children
Dr Santosh Jain Passi
Dr Shipra Gupta
12 Promoting Household Food and 
Nutrition Security
Dr Akanksha Jain
Capt. Parminder Sehgal
44 Shree Anna for Nutritional Wellbeing
Urvashi Prasad
49 Combating Malnutrition 
Achieving Prosperity
Puneet Kumar Ojha
Pankaj Kumar Ojha
30 Millets 
Future Food
S. Sujatha
Dr. CV Ratnavathi
25 Foods that Address Nutritional 
Deficiencies
Rajiv Theodore
19 Nutrition and Health in School 
Education
Purabi Pattanayak
35 Nutritional Management 
Framework for Rural India
Dr. Amiya Kumar Mohapatra
Dr. Nandeesh V Hiremath
39 Rising Maternal Obesity 
Implications and Way Forward
Dr. Preeti Khanna 
Dr. Shweta Khandelwal
5 Kurukshetra       August  2023
* The author is Public Health Nutrition Consultant & Former Director, Institute of Home Economics (University of Delhi). 
** The author is Professor in Nutrition, Institute of Home Economics (University of Delhi). 
Email: sjpassi@gmail.com and shipra.gupta@ihe.du.ac.in 
Adequate Nutrition for 
Women and Children
* 
Dr Santosh Jain Passi
** 
Dr Shipra Gupta
he importance of adequate nutrition 
for women and children cannot be 
undermined. Women’s nutrition 
directly influences their own health, which in turn 
affects the well-being of their children and the family as 
a whole. Since women shoulder the major responsibility 
of childbearing, childrearing, and childcare; their 
proper health and nutritional well-being should be 
a prime concern for the family, community, and the 
nation at large. 
Inadequate intake of nutritionally appropriate 
diets - both in terms of quantity and quality, can lead to 
malnutrition, deficiency diseases, and other ailments/
T
disorders as well as lower life expectancy. The poor 
health status of the women reduces their productivity, 
earning capacity, and ability to take care of their 
families, particularly the well-being of their young ones. 
Malnutrition and poor health among women, both prior 
to-and during pregnancy, is a matter of serious concern; 
it may lead to high incidence of low-birth weight (LBW)/
pre-term deliveries, stillbirths, and abortions, as well as 
high maternal mortality rates.
Studies indicate that a large percentage of our 
Indian women are either underweight or overweight/
obese–both these conditions pose risks during 
pregnancy and affect the long-term health of the mother 
Adequate nutrition for women 
and children is crucial. Women’s 
nutritional wellbeing, particularly 
during the reproductive years, is 
the single most important criterion 
influencing their pregnancy 
outcome. Malnutrition among 
women, both prior to- and during 
pregnancy, may lead to high 
incidence of low-birth weight 
(LBW)/pre-term deliveries, still-
births, abortions as well as high 
maternal mortality rates; and that 
during infancy/childhood hampers 
the child’s growth and development. 
Page 4


1 Kurukshetra       August  2023 3 Kurukshetra       August  2023
A Journal on Rural Development 
Contents
Vol. 71     |     No. 10     |     Pages 56     |     August 2023
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003  
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 8, Esplanade 
East, Kolkata-700069 (033-22482576) ???????????? Mumbai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi 
Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686) ? Chennai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 
(044-24917673) ? Thiruvananthapuram - BM, Publications Division, Press Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 
(0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - BM, Publications Division, Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 
(040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - BM (I/c), Sales Unit, Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) 
? Patna - BM, Publications Division, Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 (0612-2675823)  
? Lucknow - BM, Publications Division, Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, Ashram 
Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669) 
CHIEF EDITOR 
Manogyan Rani Pal
EDITOR 
Shiela Chaudhary
JOINT DIRECTOR (PRODUCTION)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
COVER DESIGN
Rajender Kumar
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals Unit 
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAX: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play,  
Kobo or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year  :    ` 230
5
19
35
44
5 Adequate Nutrition for Women  
and Children
Dr Santosh Jain Passi
Dr Shipra Gupta
12 Promoting Household Food and 
Nutrition Security
Dr Akanksha Jain
Capt. Parminder Sehgal
44 Shree Anna for Nutritional Wellbeing
Urvashi Prasad
49 Combating Malnutrition 
Achieving Prosperity
Puneet Kumar Ojha
Pankaj Kumar Ojha
30 Millets 
Future Food
S. Sujatha
Dr. CV Ratnavathi
25 Foods that Address Nutritional 
Deficiencies
Rajiv Theodore
19 Nutrition and Health in School 
Education
Purabi Pattanayak
35 Nutritional Management 
Framework for Rural India
Dr. Amiya Kumar Mohapatra
Dr. Nandeesh V Hiremath
39 Rising Maternal Obesity 
Implications and Way Forward
Dr. Preeti Khanna 
Dr. Shweta Khandelwal
5 Kurukshetra       August  2023
* The author is Public Health Nutrition Consultant & Former Director, Institute of Home Economics (University of Delhi). 
** The author is Professor in Nutrition, Institute of Home Economics (University of Delhi). 
Email: sjpassi@gmail.com and shipra.gupta@ihe.du.ac.in 
Adequate Nutrition for 
Women and Children
* 
Dr Santosh Jain Passi
** 
Dr Shipra Gupta
he importance of adequate nutrition 
for women and children cannot be 
undermined. Women’s nutrition 
directly influences their own health, which in turn 
affects the well-being of their children and the family as 
a whole. Since women shoulder the major responsibility 
of childbearing, childrearing, and childcare; their 
proper health and nutritional well-being should be 
a prime concern for the family, community, and the 
nation at large. 
Inadequate intake of nutritionally appropriate 
diets - both in terms of quantity and quality, can lead to 
malnutrition, deficiency diseases, and other ailments/
T
disorders as well as lower life expectancy. The poor 
health status of the women reduces their productivity, 
earning capacity, and ability to take care of their 
families, particularly the well-being of their young ones. 
Malnutrition and poor health among women, both prior 
to-and during pregnancy, is a matter of serious concern; 
it may lead to high incidence of low-birth weight (LBW)/
pre-term deliveries, stillbirths, and abortions, as well as 
high maternal mortality rates.
Studies indicate that a large percentage of our 
Indian women are either underweight or overweight/
obese–both these conditions pose risks during 
pregnancy and affect the long-term health of the mother 
Adequate nutrition for women 
and children is crucial. Women’s 
nutritional wellbeing, particularly 
during the reproductive years, is 
the single most important criterion 
influencing their pregnancy 
outcome. Malnutrition among 
women, both prior to- and during 
pregnancy, may lead to high 
incidence of low-birth weight 
(LBW)/pre-term deliveries, still-
births, abortions as well as high 
maternal mortality rates; and that 
during infancy/childhood hampers 
the child’s growth and development. 
Kurukshetra       August  2023 6
and the infant. Anaemia among pregnant women is an 
established cause of higher maternal mortality during 
childbirth. Not only the physical but even the mental 
and emotional health of the woman – both during 
pregnancy and thereafter, are crucial for preventing 
any nutritional deficits and birth complications, as well 
as for attaining the postnatal wellness of the mother-
child dyad. Mentally-unhealthy mothers fail to follow 
adequate child-feeding/childcare practices leading to 
poor growth and development of the child. Therefore, 
a holistic approach to women’s nutrition/health needs 
to be adopted with a special focus on the needs of 
girls/women during the life cycle. In Telangana, for 
improving overall maternal nutrition and wellness during 
pregnancy, weight monitoring (for tracking gestational 
weight gain), nutrition counselling, anaemia prevention/
treatment (supervised distribution/consumption of Iron-
Folate tablets), and mental health screening have been 
integrated into routine antenatal check-ups.
Due to the unique physiological/developmental 
needs, women and children are particularly vulnerable 
to the consequences of malnutrition. In India, women 
face several nutritional challenges throughout their 
lifetime. As per the latest National Family Health 
Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5), 18.7% women in the 
reproductive age group (15-49 years) have a body 
mass index below normal (BMI<18.5 kg/m
2
) and 57% 
of them suffer from anaemia.This indicates high levels 
of under/malnutrition which are associated with their 
poor nutritional intakes. Further, the NFHS-5 data also 
reveals that of the children aged less than five years, 
nearly 35.5% are stunted (low height-for-age), 19.3% 
and 7.7% wasted/severely wasted (low weight-for-
height) and 32.1% underweight (low weight-for-age); 
this again highlights an alarmingly high prevalence of 
malnutrition among children. 
Very often women - the producers, processors, 
and distributors of the food ignore their own 
nutrition/health needs by taking a back seat; 
and in most cases, even the family remains 
incognisant of this fact. Hence, widespread 
nutrition/health related awareness needs to 
be generated for addressing the issue of gender 
bias in intra-household food distribution as well 
as for overcoming the nutritional imbalances.
Inadequate dietary intake by women, especially 
during the reproductive years, results in nutritional 
deficiencies, leading to adverse effects on their own 
health, as well as that of their infants/children. Hence, 
nutrition education highlighting the importance of 
appropriately balanced diet and eating right needs 
to be imparted to everyone irrespective of their age, 
gender, education, class, and creed. 
Adequate nutrition is prime-most for human 
development. Nutrition/health status of the women can 
make or mar the entire generations. Undernourished 
women of childbearing ages usually end up being 
undernourished mothers who bear undernourished 
children with poor physical and mental development 
setting-in the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition 
and poor health; and this needs to be broken at all 
costs. 
Adequate nutrition is important during 
all phases of life but it acquires a greater 
importance during the periods of rapid 
growth namely pregnancy, lactation, early 
childhood, and adolescence. Therefore, 
adequate nutrition for women, children, and 
adolescents, particularly for the girl children, 
is extremely crucial.
Adequate nutrition for 
children in the early years 
of life, especially the first 
1000 days from conception 
till the child is 2 years old, 
has an enormous impact 
on their future health and 
well-being. Adequate intake 
of macro- and micronutrients during these 
early years is essential for their proper growth 
and cognitive development. Quantitatively/
qualitatively inadequate dietary intakes during 
these years can result in stunted growth, poor 
brain development, and compromised immune 
function; making the children vulnerable to 
various infections as well as the victims of 
compromised cognitive development, poor 
learning capacity, adversely impacted educational 
attainment, poor productivity, and lowered 
earning potential during their adulthood.
Page 5


1 Kurukshetra       August  2023 3 Kurukshetra       August  2023
A Journal on Rural Development 
Contents
Vol. 71     |     No. 10     |     Pages 56     |     August 2023
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003  
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 8, Esplanade 
East, Kolkata-700069 (033-22482576) ???????????? Mumbai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi 
Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686) ? Chennai - BM (I/c), Publications Division, ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 
(044-24917673) ? Thiruvananthapuram - BM, Publications Division, Press Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 
(0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - BM, Publications Division, Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 
(040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - BM (I/c), Sales Unit, Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) 
? Patna - BM, Publications Division, Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 (0612-2675823)  
? Lucknow - BM, Publications Division, Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, Ashram 
Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669) 
CHIEF EDITOR 
Manogyan Rani Pal
EDITOR 
Shiela Chaudhary
JOINT DIRECTOR (PRODUCTION)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
COVER DESIGN
Rajender Kumar
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals Unit 
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAX: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play,  
Kobo or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year  :    ` 230
5
19
35
44
5 Adequate Nutrition for Women  
and Children
Dr Santosh Jain Passi
Dr Shipra Gupta
12 Promoting Household Food and 
Nutrition Security
Dr Akanksha Jain
Capt. Parminder Sehgal
44 Shree Anna for Nutritional Wellbeing
Urvashi Prasad
49 Combating Malnutrition 
Achieving Prosperity
Puneet Kumar Ojha
Pankaj Kumar Ojha
30 Millets 
Future Food
S. Sujatha
Dr. CV Ratnavathi
25 Foods that Address Nutritional 
Deficiencies
Rajiv Theodore
19 Nutrition and Health in School 
Education
Purabi Pattanayak
35 Nutritional Management 
Framework for Rural India
Dr. Amiya Kumar Mohapatra
Dr. Nandeesh V Hiremath
39 Rising Maternal Obesity 
Implications and Way Forward
Dr. Preeti Khanna 
Dr. Shweta Khandelwal
5 Kurukshetra       August  2023
* The author is Public Health Nutrition Consultant & Former Director, Institute of Home Economics (University of Delhi). 
** The author is Professor in Nutrition, Institute of Home Economics (University of Delhi). 
Email: sjpassi@gmail.com and shipra.gupta@ihe.du.ac.in 
Adequate Nutrition for 
Women and Children
* 
Dr Santosh Jain Passi
** 
Dr Shipra Gupta
he importance of adequate nutrition 
for women and children cannot be 
undermined. Women’s nutrition 
directly influences their own health, which in turn 
affects the well-being of their children and the family as 
a whole. Since women shoulder the major responsibility 
of childbearing, childrearing, and childcare; their 
proper health and nutritional well-being should be 
a prime concern for the family, community, and the 
nation at large. 
Inadequate intake of nutritionally appropriate 
diets - both in terms of quantity and quality, can lead to 
malnutrition, deficiency diseases, and other ailments/
T
disorders as well as lower life expectancy. The poor 
health status of the women reduces their productivity, 
earning capacity, and ability to take care of their 
families, particularly the well-being of their young ones. 
Malnutrition and poor health among women, both prior 
to-and during pregnancy, is a matter of serious concern; 
it may lead to high incidence of low-birth weight (LBW)/
pre-term deliveries, stillbirths, and abortions, as well as 
high maternal mortality rates.
Studies indicate that a large percentage of our 
Indian women are either underweight or overweight/
obese–both these conditions pose risks during 
pregnancy and affect the long-term health of the mother 
Adequate nutrition for women 
and children is crucial. Women’s 
nutritional wellbeing, particularly 
during the reproductive years, is 
the single most important criterion 
influencing their pregnancy 
outcome. Malnutrition among 
women, both prior to- and during 
pregnancy, may lead to high 
incidence of low-birth weight 
(LBW)/pre-term deliveries, still-
births, abortions as well as high 
maternal mortality rates; and that 
during infancy/childhood hampers 
the child’s growth and development. 
Kurukshetra       August  2023 6
and the infant. Anaemia among pregnant women is an 
established cause of higher maternal mortality during 
childbirth. Not only the physical but even the mental 
and emotional health of the woman – both during 
pregnancy and thereafter, are crucial for preventing 
any nutritional deficits and birth complications, as well 
as for attaining the postnatal wellness of the mother-
child dyad. Mentally-unhealthy mothers fail to follow 
adequate child-feeding/childcare practices leading to 
poor growth and development of the child. Therefore, 
a holistic approach to women’s nutrition/health needs 
to be adopted with a special focus on the needs of 
girls/women during the life cycle. In Telangana, for 
improving overall maternal nutrition and wellness during 
pregnancy, weight monitoring (for tracking gestational 
weight gain), nutrition counselling, anaemia prevention/
treatment (supervised distribution/consumption of Iron-
Folate tablets), and mental health screening have been 
integrated into routine antenatal check-ups.
Due to the unique physiological/developmental 
needs, women and children are particularly vulnerable 
to the consequences of malnutrition. In India, women 
face several nutritional challenges throughout their 
lifetime. As per the latest National Family Health 
Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5), 18.7% women in the 
reproductive age group (15-49 years) have a body 
mass index below normal (BMI<18.5 kg/m
2
) and 57% 
of them suffer from anaemia.This indicates high levels 
of under/malnutrition which are associated with their 
poor nutritional intakes. Further, the NFHS-5 data also 
reveals that of the children aged less than five years, 
nearly 35.5% are stunted (low height-for-age), 19.3% 
and 7.7% wasted/severely wasted (low weight-for-
height) and 32.1% underweight (low weight-for-age); 
this again highlights an alarmingly high prevalence of 
malnutrition among children. 
Very often women - the producers, processors, 
and distributors of the food ignore their own 
nutrition/health needs by taking a back seat; 
and in most cases, even the family remains 
incognisant of this fact. Hence, widespread 
nutrition/health related awareness needs to 
be generated for addressing the issue of gender 
bias in intra-household food distribution as well 
as for overcoming the nutritional imbalances.
Inadequate dietary intake by women, especially 
during the reproductive years, results in nutritional 
deficiencies, leading to adverse effects on their own 
health, as well as that of their infants/children. Hence, 
nutrition education highlighting the importance of 
appropriately balanced diet and eating right needs 
to be imparted to everyone irrespective of their age, 
gender, education, class, and creed. 
Adequate nutrition is prime-most for human 
development. Nutrition/health status of the women can 
make or mar the entire generations. Undernourished 
women of childbearing ages usually end up being 
undernourished mothers who bear undernourished 
children with poor physical and mental development 
setting-in the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition 
and poor health; and this needs to be broken at all 
costs. 
Adequate nutrition is important during 
all phases of life but it acquires a greater 
importance during the periods of rapid 
growth namely pregnancy, lactation, early 
childhood, and adolescence. Therefore, 
adequate nutrition for women, children, and 
adolescents, particularly for the girl children, 
is extremely crucial.
Adequate nutrition for 
children in the early years 
of life, especially the first 
1000 days from conception 
till the child is 2 years old, 
has an enormous impact 
on their future health and 
well-being. Adequate intake 
of macro- and micronutrients during these 
early years is essential for their proper growth 
and cognitive development. Quantitatively/
qualitatively inadequate dietary intakes during 
these years can result in stunted growth, poor 
brain development, and compromised immune 
function; making the children vulnerable to 
various infections as well as the victims of 
compromised cognitive development, poor 
learning capacity, adversely impacted educational 
attainment, poor productivity, and lowered 
earning potential during their adulthood.
7 Kurukshetra       August  2023
The Estimated Average 
Daily Requirements (EAR) 
of energy and macro 
and micronutrients for 
moderately active adult 
women, children (1-3 
years), and adolescent 
girls (13-15 years) have 
been compared with 
those of moderately active 
adult men, taking their 
(men’s) nutrient needs as 
100% (Figure 1). Further, 
for these age/gender 
groups, the EAR of energy, 
protein, and visible fat 
have also been compared 
on the basis of per kg 
body weight/day (Table 1). 
Despite a comparatively 
lower body weight (nearly 
85%), the nutritional needs 
of the women are either 
higher (iron) or equal to 
(calcium, vitamin B12), or 
slightly lower than those 
of the men. This indicates 
that their total food intake 
needs to be lower, but 
the quality of their diets 
should be far better than 
that of the men. This 
becomes all the more 
pertinent when women 
go through the phases of 
pregnancy and lactation 
since during these stages 
their nutritional needs 
increase substantially. This 
is clearly evident from the 
graph (Figure 2) comparing 
the needs of non-pregnant 
non-lactating (NPNL) 
women with those of 
pregnant women (3
rd
 
trimester) and lactating 
mothers (0-6 months). 
Figure 1: Comparative Estimated Average Daily Requirement of Nutrients (Energy, Macro- and 
Micronutrients) for adult men/women, children (1-3 yrs) and adolescent girls (13-15 yrs) - Taking adult 
man’s requirements as 100% (Adapted from ICMR-NIN, 2020)