As colourful kites fill the skies on Makar Sankranti, Gujarat is giving the traditional festival a meaningful twist with ‘Poshan Udaan 2026’, a statewide initiative aimed at spreading awareness about nutrition and health.
Organised by the Department of Women and Child Development on January 12–13, the campaign leverages the popularity of the kite festival to highlight the importance of balanced diets, hygiene and overall well-being among children, adolescent girls and mothers.
Led by Women and Child Development Minister Dr Manisha Vakil, activities are being conducted across the state at zonal, district, project and Anganwadi levels under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
The initiative focuses on promoting dietary diversity, reducing junk food consumption, preventing anaemia among adolescents, improving sanitation practices and ensuring access to safe drinking water.
As part of the programme, communities including schoolchildren, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and local leaders have been actively engaged.
Events include nutrition-themed kite-making competitions, slogan-writing contests, quizzes and sports activities for adolescent girls, demonstrations of nutritious winter recipes, awareness programmes highlighting the benefits of drumstick as a superfood, and displays of millet-based dishes under the Shree Anna campaign.
Health-focused interventions such as haemoglobin testing, distribution of iron and folic acid (IFA) tablets, BMI check-ups and personalised nutrition counselling were also carried out for mothers and children.
At Anganwadi centres, beneficiaries received colourful kites and manjha strings, along with traditional nutritious foods such as chikki made from coarse grains, peanuts, sesame and mamra.
On Makar Sankranti, these kites, carrying messages on nutrition and health, will symbolically send a public awareness call soaring across Gujarat’s skies.
The state government has also appealed to citizens to avoid unsafe Chinese manjha and strictly follow safety precautions while flying kites.
With Poshan Udaan 2026, Gujarat aims to celebrate the festival not only with joy and colour, but also with a strong commitment to building a healthier and more informed society.
–IANS
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