A balanced and nutritious diet is crucial for the physical and mental well-being of children, and the Himachal Pradesh government is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring their growth and development. By emphasizing healthy nutrition and quality early education, the state is working to nurture a prosperous and resilient society.

Currently, 18,925 Anganwadi Centres across Himachal are providing both nutritional support and early learning opportunities for children. Monthly monitoring of children under six ensures their growth is tracked across multiple health and developmental parameters. During the current fiscal year, Rs. 113 crore has already been allocated under the Anganwadi Services Scheme, with an additional Rs. 1516.09 lakh spent under the Special Nutrition Programme.

To promote holistic learning, all Anganwadi Centres have been upgraded to “Anganwadi Co-Schools”, bringing early education under one umbrella. A state-level joint committee, chaired by the Secretary of Education, has been formed to implement guidelines issued by the Ministries of Women & Child Development and Education for co-locating Anganwadi Centres and schools. Out of 1,030 approved “Saksham Anganwadi Centres”, 100 have been sanctioned for Chamba district, with ongoing upgrades across the state.

Out of the 1030 approved "Saksham Anganwadi Centres" in the state, 100 have been sanctioned for Chamba district. The process of upgrading Anganwadi Centres is ongoing. All District Programme Officers (DPOs), Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), and Supervisors have been trained as State-Level Master Trainers. These Master Trainers will now train all Anganwadi Workers, and training materials are being printed for this purpose.

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has also started the Mukhyamantri Bal Poshan Aahar Yojna to provide nutritious meal to students of all the government schools. Under this scheme, nutritious meals are being provided to 5.34 students studying in 15,181 government schools across the state. To further improve children's nutrition, the "Kitchen Garden" initiative has been successfully implemented in 14,464 schools. With the help of mid-day meal workers, school management committees, teachers and students, kitchen gardens have been developed where seasonal vegetables are grown. In schools with limited space, vegetables and herbs are grown in large containers and pots.

The vegetables harvested from these gardens are used in mid-day meals, ensuring fresh and healthy food for children. This initiative also helps students learn the importance of natural farming and healthy eating habits. Mid-day meal workers serve food with love and dedication. Recognizing their commitment, the Chief Minister has increased their honorarium by Rs. 500, making it Rs. 5000 per month for a total number of 21,115 mid-day meal workers.

Nutritious food is every child’s right. A balanced diet not only ensures physical growth but also strengthens mental and emotional health. Through its effective policies and schemes, the state government has ensured the availability of nutritious food for children leading to a healthier, happier and brighter childhood.

As per the World Health Organizaton, nutrition is a critical part of health and development of children as it ensures improved infant, child and maternal health, strong immune systems, lower risk of non-communicable diseases and longevity. It is a well known fact that healthy children learn better, are happier and grow up to become more productive, cashing upon opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and hunger.