Ministry of WCD launches 8th Poshan Pakhwada with focus on Maximizing Brain Development in the First Six Years of Life

• Poshan Pakhwada = 15-day intensive nutrition fortnight under Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, run by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD); the 8th edition is being observed in April 2026 with the theme "Maximizing Brain Development in the First Six Years of Life".
• Anchors the Centre's flagship Jan Andolan on early-childhood nutrition; integrates the science of the first 1,000 days (conception to age 2) with Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) under NEP 2020.
• High-yield for UPSC: maps to schemes (Poshan Abhiyaan, Mission Poshan 2.0), governance (Anganwadi system), and indicators (stunting, wasting, anaemia) tracked by NFHS-5.