SEHAT Mission Launched: ICAR and ICMR Join Hands for Healthy Food, Healthy India

SEHAT Mission: Context

Union Ministers launched the ‘SEHAT Mission’ (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) in New Delhi.

Read Also: UPSC Daily Current Affairs 2026

SEHAT Mission: Organizations Involved

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): Under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR): Under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

SEHAT Mission Aim

• The primary objective is to build a scientific framework for Healthy Food, Healthy Farms, and a Healthy India.
• It aims to create a farm-to-plate scientific chain that ensures the food grown in the country directly contributes to disease prevention and nutritional security.

SEHAT Mission Key Features

• Bio-fortification of Crops: Developing and promoting crop varieties naturally enriched with essential micronutrients like zinc and iron.
• Promotion of Traditional Grains: Reemphasizing the consumption of climate-resilient and nutrient-dense millets such as Kodo, Kutki, Ragi, Jowar, and Bajra.
• Integrated Farming Systems: Encouraging rural families to combine crop cultivation with animal husbandry, fisheries, and beekeeping to ensure diverse and balanced family nutrition.
• Farmer Health & Safety: Implementing scientific interventions and awareness programs to protect farmers from risks associated with pesticide exposure and hazardous chemicals.
• Dietary Solutions forNCDs: Researching and promoting food alternatives that can function as medicine to help prevent and manage lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cancer.
• ‘One Health’ Approach: Addressing the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment through joint planning between medical and agricultural scientists.
• Science-Based Policy Support: Creating real-time dashboards and research databases to align agricultural policy with national nutrition strategies.

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