Officials and participants during the Healthy Baby Show as
part of the ongoing POSHAN Pakhwada 2025, held at Lengrijan Village Council
Hall, Dimapur, on April 16.
- DIMAPUR — As part of the ongoing Prime
Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) Pakhwada 2025
under the Rashtriya POSHAN Abhiyaan, a block-level "Healthy Baby
Show" for children aged 6 to 18 months was conducted at Lengrijan Village
Council Hall, Dimapur, on April 16.
- According to a DIPR report, the programme was organised by
the Child Development Project Office, Dimapur, and the District Hub for
Empowerment of Women (DHEW), Dimapur, Department of Social Welfare, in convergence
with Health and Family Welfare and Rural Development-National Rural Livelihoods
Mission (RD-NSRLM).
- On the occasion, a briefing on POSHAN Pakhwada was presented
by Limasangla, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Dimapur , where she
said that POSHAN Pakhwada is undertaken by the government to address
malnutrition, anaemia, and childhood obesity, particularly among children,
adolescent girls, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
Also read: Healthy Baby Show held in Chümoukedima
- The campaign encourages a jan andolan—a people’s movement—by
involving community organisations and churches in spreading awareness on proper
nutrition and health. While activities are conducted year-round, they intensify
in March, which is known as POSHAN Maah (Nutrition Month), she said.
- She informed that the campaign focuses on the critical first
1,000 days—from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday—with themes covering
maternal and infant nutrition, digital accessibility for beneficiaries, and the
prevention of childhood obesity through healthy lifestyles.
- She also spoke on the early initiation of breastfeeding
within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and
appropriate complementary feeding from six months onwards, continuing
breastfeeding up to two years. Emphasis is placed on safe, hygienic, and age-appropriate
feeding with sufficient consistency, frequency, and dietary diversity.
- A brief highlight of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
(PMMVY) was presented by Vizosuto Khanyo, District Coordinator PMMVY. Khanyo
informed that under the scheme, eligible women receive financial support of INR
5,000 in two installments for the first child and INR 6,000 for the second
child if it is a girl, promoting positive behavioural change towards the girl
child.
- The scheme is implemented through Anganwadi services and
encourages early registration of pregnancy, antenatal check-ups, and child
immunisation.
- Citizens were encouraged to apply at the nearest Anganwadi
Centre, CDPO office, or DHEW. Eligible women must ensure they have an
Aadhaar-seeded bank account and valid documents such as below poverty line
(BPL) cards, SC/ST certificates, or e-shram cards.
- Khanyo urged all stakeholders to spread awareness and ensure
no eligible woman is left out of the scheme. For online applications, citizens
can also register through the official PMMVY website or mobile app, he
informed.
- Anganwadi Board Chairman TL Toshi Longchar, speaking during
the event, appreciated the efforts of the department and urged that such
programmes be held more frequently so that residents can share the information
with others in the community. He also thanked the department for reaching out
to the grassroots and ensuring that vital government schemes are accessible to
all.
- Medical Officer, RARC, Dr. Neha Mech, explained the criteria
for selecting healthy babies, after which the Healthy Baby Contest was
conducted.
- Prizes were awarded to the winners, who were selected based
on overall health indicators, and they were felicitated with a cash prize. The
winners of the Healthy Baby Show were Imtisor Ao and Limlir.
