Key Highlights:

  • Launch on September 9 in Varanasi: Union Minister Annpurna Devi will launch the month-long ninth Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre, alongside UP CM Yogi Adityanath.
  • A nine-year-old nationwide movement: Observed every September since 2018, Poshan Maah has grown into a Jan Andolan mobilising communities around nutrition for women, children and adolescents.
  • PMMVY completes 10 years: This year's edition will mark a decade of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, the flagship maternity benefit scheme, as a dedicated fifth theme.
  • 100% saturation drive planned: The campaign will aim to enrol all eligible pregnant and lactating women, speed up Direct Benefit Transfers, and roll out a state/UT-level PMMVY Toolkit.
  • Nationwide community events: Poshan Maah 2026 will be observed across all states and UTs through events at Anganwadi centres, schools, panchayats and households.

New Delhi: Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi will launch the month-long ninth Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 on September 9 in Varanasi with the aim of improving nutrition and health of women, children and adolescents, an official said on Monday.

The launch event will be held at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi, where the Union Minister would be joined by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur and ministers and officials from the state, an official statement said.

What Is Rashtriya Poshan Maah

Observed every September since its launch in 2018, Rashtriya Poshan Maah has grown into a Jan Andolan that mobilises communities to strengthen nutrition, health and caregiving behaviours among women, children and adolescents, the statement said.

Marking A Decade Of PMMVY

Guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a "Suposhit Bharat" to lay the foundation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 will celebrate 10 years of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), the flagship maternity benefit programme that has supported maternal nutrition and health-seeking behaviour for a decade, as a fifth theme.

What Is PMMVY: The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana is a central government scheme that provides cash benefits directly to pregnant and lactating women, intended to partly compensate for wage loss during pregnancy and encourage better nutrition and health-seeking behaviour, such as regular check-ups and institutional delivery. The scheme has been running for a decade and is being highlighted this year as one of the key pillars of the nutrition campaign.

A 100 per cent saturation drive will enrol all eligible pregnant and lactating women, expedite Direct Benefit Transfers, and launch a PMMVY Toolkit for localisation by states and Union Territories (UTs), the statement said.

What To Expect At The Launch

The launch programme will open with a walkthrough of the Poshan Mela by the dignitaries and the lighting of the lamp.

Beneficiary testimonial videos on hot cooked meals, take-home ration, home visits and early childhood care and education will be screened, followed by a live interaction between the Union Minister and the anganwadi workers.

Films marking 10 years of PMMVY and the Poshan Maah 2026 launch will set the stage for the dignitaries to formally launch the campaign.

Nationwide Rollout

Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 will be observed across all states and UTs through community events at Anganwadi centres, schools, panchayats and households, reaffirming that a well-nourished child is the shared responsibility of every citizen and the surest foundation of a Viksit Bharat.