Which of the following is NOT a national nutrition programme of the Government of India?
- (a)National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme
- (b)National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis
- (c)National Iron Plus Initiative for Anaemia Control
- (d)National Oral Health Programme
Correct — B or D (both accepted). The National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (option A) and the National Iron Plus Initiative for Anaemia Control (option C) are both genuine micronutrient-focused national nutrition programmes. The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis (option B) addresses excess-fluoride dental/skeletal disease from drinking water, and the National Oral Health Programme (option D) addresses dental care — both are real Government of India health programmes, but neither is classified as a nutrition programme. Since two of the four options fail to qualify as 'nutrition' programmes, the commission granted grace and accepted both (b) and (d).
- (a)National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme — A genuine nutrition programme — it addresses iodine-deficiency disorders through universal salt iodisation, so it does not fit the 'NOT a nutrition programme' answer.
- (c)National Iron Plus Initiative for Anaemia Control — A genuine nutrition programme — it addresses iron-deficiency anaemia through supplementation across age groups, so it does not fit the 'NOT a nutrition programme' answer.
India runs several national programmes that address nutrition-linked deficiencies (iodine, iron) alongside separate programmes for non-nutritional public-health issues (fluoride-caused fluorosis, oral/dental health). Recognising which named programme falls in which bucket is the core skill this question tests, not just recalling the full scheme name.
The trap is that all four options sound like a generic 'National Programme for X Control', so students default to assuming they are all nutrition schemes. The real distinguishing factor is the underlying cause being addressed: a nutrition programme corrects a dietary/micronutrient deficiency (iodine, iron), while fluorosis and oral-health programmes address environmental/dental conditions, not diet.
- National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP) — nutrition programme, tackles iodine deficiency via iodised salt
- National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI) — nutrition programme, tackles iron-deficiency anaemia
- National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis — addresses excess fluoride in groundwater, not a nutrition programme
- National Oral Health Programme — addresses dental/oral care, not a nutrition programme
Two of the four listed programmes tackle diet-linked deficiencies (nutrition); the other two — fluorosis control and oral health — are real GoI programmes but not nutrition programmes, so the commission accepted both as correct.
- Assuming every 'National Programme for Control of X' scheme is automatically a nutrition programme
- Confusing the National Iron Plus Initiative (iron/anaemia) with unrelated micronutrient schemes
Typically a 'which of the following is NOT a national programme of type X' question naming 3-4 real GoI schemes with one (or, if graced, two) not fitting the stated category.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The National Iron Plus Initiative primarily aims to control:
- (a)Iodine deficiency
- (b)Iron-deficiency anaemia
- (c)Vitamin A deficiency
- (d)Fluorosis
Answer(b) Iron-deficiency anaemia — through supplementation across age groups from infancy to reproductive age.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Fluorosis, addressed by a dedicated national programme in India, results from:
- (a)Iron deficiency in diet
- (b)Excess fluoride in drinking water
- (c)Iodine deficiency in diet
- (d)A viral infection
Answer(b) Excess fluoride in drinking water — causing dental and skeletal fluorosis.