- 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah to begin in Varanasi on September 9
- Anganwadi Management Committees to strengthen community participation
- Campaign to focus on protein, hot cooked meals and early childhood development
- Poshan Maah to mark 10 years of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
GG News Bureau
Varanasi, 7th Sept: Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi will launch the 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 at Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi on September 9.
The month-long campaign will be launched in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur and Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Baby Rani Maurya.
This year’s theme, “Hamari Anganwadi Hamari Jimmedari,” seeks to place Anganwadi Centres at the centre of community-led action for nutrition, healthcare, caregiving and early childhood development.
The campaign will focus on five key themes: dietary diversity and adequate protein; fresh hot cooked meals at Anganwadi Centres; community ownership and accountability; nutrition, early stimulation and education for childhood development; and 10 years of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
Under the community ownership initiative, Anganwadi Management Committees will be constituted and operationalised across Centres. At least one committee meeting will be held at every Anganwadi Centre during Poshan Maah to review service delivery and strengthen community participation.
SNP Menu Boards will also be displayed at Anganwadi Centres to make daily menus and entitlements visible. Anganwadi Management Committees and Mothers’ Committees will monitor meal quality and adherence to prescribed menus.
The campaign will promote healthy diets through recipe demonstrations, Poshan Melas and initiatives highlighting protein-rich foods. States and Union Territories will also be encouraged to introduce weekly rotation of hot cooked meals using millets, pulses and seasonal vegetables.
A dedicated focus will be placed on early childhood development. Anganwadi Workers will undertake home visits for children aged 0–3 years, promote responsive caregiving and early stimulation, and record developmental milestones. Children requiring intervention will be referred through convergence with health services.
Poshan Maah 2026 will also mark 10 years of PMMVY, with a 100 per cent saturation drive aimed at enrolling eligible pregnant and lactating women and expediting Direct Benefit Transfers.
The campaign will be observed across States and Union Territories through activities at Anganwadi Centres, schools, Panchayats and households, reinforcing community participation in building a well-nourished population as the foundation of Viksit Bharat 2047.
