Nagaland joins the rest of the country in observing the 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026, under the overarching theme “Hamari Anganwadi, Hamari Jimmedari” (Our Anganwadi, Our Responsibility). The month-long campaign underscores the national importance of collective action to address malnutrition and strengthen nutrition, maternal health, childcare and early childhood development.
Launched as a coordinated national platform under POSHAN Abhiyaan, Poshan Maah is observed every September to mobilise communities and reinforce healthy nutrition, health-seeking and caregiving practices among pregnant women, lactating mothers, children, adolescents and families. India’s continuing nutrition efforts recognise that improving nutrition requires moving beyond adequate calories towards diverse, nutritious and locally available foods.
In Nagaland, the Department of Social Welfare, in convergence with Health & Family Welfare, School Education, Agriculture, Horticulture, NSRLM-RD, AYUSH, local administration and community institutions, will drive activities across the State. The campaign will place Anganwadi Centres at the heart of community-led action, strengthening community ownership, service quality and accountability.
The State campaign will focus on five key priorities: Dietary Diversity & Adequate Protein; Fresh Hot Cooked Meals at Anganwadi Centres; Community Ownership & Accountability; Nutrition and Early Stimulation for Childhood Development; and the 10-year milestone of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
Activities will include promotion of locally available nutritious foods, healthy recipe demonstrations, Poshan Melas, protein-rich food campaigns, weekly menu rotation and Hot Cooked Meal demonstrations and tasting sessions. Community participation will be strengthened through Anganwadi Management Committees, SNP Menu Boards, Mothers’ Committees and local institutions, enabling greater transparency and monitoring of nutrition services.
The campaign will also highlight the critical importance of the first 1,000 days, early stimulation, responsive caregiving and Early Childhood Care and Education, including the use of the revised Home Visit Scheduler and promotion of age-appropriate learning through Navchetna and Aadharshila.
A special focus will be placed on PMMVY, which marks 10 years as India’s flagship maternity benefit programme. Nagaland will undertake awareness and enrolment efforts to identify eligible beneficiaries and facilitate registration, verification and Direct Benefit Transfers, while promoting maternal nutrition and health-seeking behaviour.
Throughout Poshan Maah, intensified home visits for focused and high-risk beneficiaries, growth monitoring, Poshan Tracker updates, VHSND convergence, IEC and social media campaigns, promotion of local food and indigenous knowledge, and mobilisation of Village Councils, SHGs, parents, caregivers, youth and community leaders will reinforce the campaign at the grassroots.
Poshan Maah 2026 is therefore not merely a month of awareness—it is a nationwide call for sustained community action. By making every Anganwadi Centre a centre of nutrition, care, learning and community participation. Nagaland reaffirms its commitment to the national vision of a healthier, stronger and malnutrition-free India.