Lok Sabha Question No. 3029 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Bhartiya Poshan Krishi Kosh
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Prataprao  Jadhav, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Sukanta Majumdar, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Bhola Singh, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Sudheer Gupta, Raja Amareshwara Naik, S. Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3029

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## BHARATIYA POSHAN KRISHI KOSH

3029.  SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

SHRI S. VENKATESAN:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  launched/planning  to  launch  Bharatiya  Poshan Krishi Kosh (BPKK) repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones in India, if so, the details and the objectives thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has plans to document and evaluate promising regional dietary practices and develop a food atlas on regional agro food systems and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the project team has finalized the selection of high focus States which are representatives of the geographical, social, economic, cultural and structural diversities of India and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Ministry in coordination with NITI Aayog is preparing a framework for a national plan for States and UTs for better implementation of all the Central and State policies; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to create a band of community hunger fighters who will be trained to deal with hunger among women, expectant mothers and children?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT ( SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI )

- (a) to (c) Ministry of Women and Child Development  along with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation  (BMGF)  announced    the  Bharatiya  Poshan  Krishi  Kosh  (BPKK)  in  New Delhi on 18 th November,  2019.  Bhartiya  Poshan  Krishi Kosh'  project has  two components - Development of a Food Atlas and Documentation of promising practices

for Jan-Andolan for POSHAN Abhiyaan.  The Agro-Food Atlas is to act as a repository of  diverse  crops  across  127  agro-climatic  zones  of  the  country    having  three  partscrops  currently  being  grown,  agro-ecological  conditions  (soil,  organic  carbon  content, ground water availability etc) and guidance on how a greater diversity of crops could be encouraged in a particular district or block to promote dietary diversity and nutrition. The project  includes  diverse  data  sources  like  National  Sample  Survey,  Agri-Census,  Soil Health Cards, ISRO's Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) and National Aeronautics and  Space  Administration's  (NASA's)  Moderate  Resolution  Imaging  Spectro-Radio meter.  The  project  also  documents  social,  behavioral  and  cultural  practices  that promote  and  reinforce  healthy  dietary  behaviors.  Identification  of  promising  practices with the help of a multi-disciplinary group of experts and developments of a tool kit to disseminate best strategies for Social and Behavioural Change Communication, specific to population groups in those regions is also a part of it.

(d) As per information received, there is no proposal for preparing a framework for a national plan for States and UTs for better implementation of all the Central and State policies. However, a 'Technical Support Unit' has been  set-up under NITI Aayog which undertakes/conducts/  facilitates  regular  monitoring  and  evaluation  of  the  National Nutrition Mission to assess the impact of the programme. A National Council on India's Nutritional Challenges under the Chairmanship of Vice-Chairman NITI Aayog has been constituted to provide policy direction, review and effective coordination and convergence between Ministries which have a sectoral responsibility for the challenge of nutrition.

(e) There  is  no  proposal  under  consideration  of  this  Ministry  to  create  a  band  of community hunger fighters to deal with hunger among women, expectant mothers and children. However, this Ministry is addressing the issue of malnutrition through various schemes including POSHAN  Abhiyaan. Under POSHAN  Abhiyaan, Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy leading to Jan Andolan- to educate the people on  nutritional  aspects;  are  among  various  components  to  generate  awareness  and public participation.

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