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

About SEHAT Mission

·         The SEHAT Missionà Major national initiative designed to bridge the gap between farming, nutrition, and public health.

·         Represents a whole of government approach, shifting India’s healthcare strategy from a reactive model (treatment) to a proactive one (prevention through proper nutrition).

Organizations Involved

·         A joint national partnership between two of India’s premier scientific bodies:

o   Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)à Under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

o   Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)à Under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Aim

·         To build a scientific framework for Healthy Food, Healthy Farms, and a Healthy India.

·         To create a farm-to-plate scientific chain that ensures the food grown in the country directly contributes to disease prevention and nutritional security.

Key Features

·         Bio-fortification → Crops enriched with micronutrients (Zn, Fe) to tackle hidden hunger

·         Millets Focus → Promotion of climate-resilient, nutrient-rich crops (Ragi, Jowar, Bajra, etc.)

·         Integrated Farming → Crop + livestock + fisheries + beekeeping → diversified nutrition

·         Farmer Safety → Awareness + scientific measures to reduce pesticide/chemical risks

·         NCD Diet Approach → Food as medicine → prevention of diabetes, hypertension, cancer

·         One Health Approach → Human + animal + environment health integration

·         Policy Support → Data-driven dashboards + research for nutrition-oriented agriculture