The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the continuation of the universal supply of Fortified Rice under all government schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes.

This will be applicable in its present form from July 2024 until December 2028.

The rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100% funding by the Government of India as part of PMGKAY (Food Subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation, the Consumer Ministry said.

Food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure to address anaemia and micronutrient malnutrition in vulnerable populations.

Rice is an ideal vehicle for supplying micronutrients in the Indian context as 65% of India’s population consumes rice as a staple food.

Rice fortification involves the addition of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) enriched with micronutrients (iron, folic acid, vitamin B12) as per the standards prescribed by FSSAI to regular rice (custom milled rice).

As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021, anaemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels.

Besides iron deficiency, other vitamin and mineral deficiencies, such as vitamin B12 and folic acid, also persist, impacting the overall health and productivity of the population.

Accordingly, in line with the Prime Minister’s address on 75th Independence Day regarding the necessity of nutritional security in the country, the initiative to supply fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), other welfare schemes, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), PM POSHAN (erstwhile MDM) in all states and Union Territories (UTs) was undertaken to address anaemia and micronutrients deficiency in the country.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) decided in April 2022 to implement the rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024.

All three phases have been successfully completed and the target of universal coverage to supply fortified rice in all government schemes was achieved by March 2024.