The Ministry of Women and child Development has decided to set to a nutrition plan for children.

In order to fulfill this objective, the ministry is making discussions with dietary specialists, child health experts and academicians to hint ideas and steps for outlining a nutrition policy for children.

The government will implement a policy, which will perk up the nutritional as well as health status of children in the age group 0-6 years. The other objectives of the scheme include;

- to lay the foundation for suitable psychological, physical and social growth of the child.
- to lessen the rate of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout.
- to achieve effective coordination of plan and execution amongst the different departments to support child development.
- to improve the ability of the mother to look after the normal health and dietary needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

Renuka Chowdhury, Minister for Women and Child Development, stated this at a conference on obesity in children and adolescents organized by the ministry.

She further added that the scheme will also provide integrated services comprising supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up, referral services, pre-school non-formal education and nutrition and health education.

At present, the minister was under fire for encouraging pre-cooked food and biscuits instead of hot cooked meals in the pre school feeding programme the integrated child development services.