Attachments
Highlights
A joint WFP and NITI Aayog initiative, ‘Mapping and Exchange of Good Practices on Millets Mainstreaming’ (MEGP) received the Best Initiative for Promoting Millets at the Poshak Anaaj Awards 2022, held at the National Nutri-Cereal Convention 4.0 in Hyderabad, Telangana State. Since its launch on 19 July, the MEGP initiative has received more than 125 entries so far.
Operational Updates
Ensuring Access to Food
• WFP, in partnership with the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), developed an e-learning, multilingual, interactive and audio-visual training platform – Learning Management System (LMS) in 2021. The LMS aims to train more than 30,000 government staff across the country on reforms and new technology being used in the Government’s targeted public distribution system. To date, more than 32,000 modules have been completed by more than 11,000 registered government staff.
• WFP, in collaboration with DFPD, launched a fourth pilot of Annapurti (automated grain dispensing machine) at a fair price shop in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh State. This machine will be used to distribute approximately 105 MT of grains to 18,000 beneficiaries every month.
Improved Nutrition
• As part of the ongoing Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month) celebrations with the theme of ‘Bacha and ShikshaPoshan bhi Padhai bhi’ (focus on nutrition and education in schools), WFP engaged the schools in Varanasi District in activities such as rallies, poster and slogan making competitions. More than 53,000 people participated in the activities including school children, cooks, teachers, parents, and community members. WFP, in partnership with the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, organized a webinar on rice fortification to sensitise more than 100 medical and nursing students.
• On 11 September, the Government of Odisha inaugurated a WFP-supported take-home ration (THR) production plant in Bolangir District, in the presence of three Cabinet Ministers. The automated THR plant, the first of its kind, has a capacity of 1.6 MT/shift and will be operated by 20 members of local women’s selfhelp groups in order to supply improved THR for use in the Government’s supplementary nutrition programme. This will be complemented by nutrition awareness building among community members.