Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Programme (MSNP) and Nutrition Resource Platform (NRP) on the occasion of National Girl Child Day

The Women and Child Development Minister, Smt Krishna Tirath launched the Multi Sectoral Nutrition Programme (MSNP) and National Resource Platform (NRP) on the occasion of National Girl Child Day, here today. The National Girl Child Day is celebrated on 24th January to commemorate the day when late Smt. Indira Gandhi was sworn in as the first woman Prime Minister of the country. This year’s theme of Girl Child Day is ‘Safety and Development of girl child’. the Multi -Sectoral Nutrition Programme (MSNP) aims to bring inter-sectoral convergence and coherence in policy, planning and action with core focus on both direct interventions and indirect interventions for maternal and child under nutrition, thus providing a continuum of care and follow a life cycle approach. The programme will be implemented as a special intervention in 200 high burden districts spread over 19 States, beginning with 100 districts in the current financial year.

The Minister also launched the Nutrition Resource Platform (NRP) that aims to collect, collate and make available resources and materials on nutrition and child development to various stakeholders. It will also be an interactive knowledge resource base which facilitates real time interaction, exchange of ideas and discussions. NRP is functional at National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) and is a virtual repository with the support of Food and Nutrition Board and NIC.

Smt. Tirath said that child sex ratio in the 0-6 year age group declined steeply from 927 in 2001 to 919 in 2011 implying that millions of girls went missing in just a decade. The practice of child marriage is still prevalent in the country as 47 % of women in the age 20-24 were married before the age 18.Thus the Ministry has embarked on a multidimensional strategy for the welfare of the girl child for bringing about attitudinal changes in the society towards the girl child through legislative, preventive, advocacy and programmatic inputs. Highlighting the success of Sabla scheme the Minister said that one crore sablas will be trained as Ahimsa Messengers through NIPCCD and they will help to spread awareness on gender issues.