Children are the foundation of India’s future, and their health is inseparable from their ability to learn and succeed. Nearly 30% of India’s population comprises children and adolescents, making their health, nutrition, and education central to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. However, this vision is under threat from widespread micronutrient deficiencies, particularly Vitamin D deficiency, which acts as a barrier to growth, learning and productivity. The ICRIER-ANVKA Foundation 2025 report, titled, “Roadmap to Address Vitamin D Deficiency in India” found that one in five Indians are Vitamin D deficient, with children and adolescents among the most vulnerable groups. Vitamin D deficiency among children can lead to rickets, stunting, weak bones, frequent respiratory infections and impaired cognitive performance, all of which undermine educational outcomes.
Globally, schools have been identified as one of the most cost-effective and sustainable platforms to address multiple micronutrient deficiencies, including Vitamin D deficiency, among children. Many countries such as Bangladesh, Iran, New Zealand, etc., have implemented large-scale fortification and supplementation programmes in schools.
In India, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme to improve the nutritional status of children. Under the scheme, the use of Vitamin D fortified milk and oil has been mandated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Despite these provisions, certain gaps remain. Current meals usually consists of cereals, pulses and vegetables, which are calorie-dense but low in micronutrients such as Vitamin D. Calorie targets require serving sizes that are often too large for children to finish in one sitting. Only five states provide Vitamin D-fortified oil, primarily due to limited supplier availability, while only eleven states provide fortified milk despite India being the world’s largest milk producer with a substantial surplus.
To bridge these gaps, this policy brief offers seven key recommendations to strengthen the MoE’s role in addressing Vitamin D deficiency. These include working with state education departments to ensure the availability of Vitamin D-rich and fortified foods in all schools, partnering with organisations such as GAIN, Tata Trusts and NDDB to strengthen procurement and distribution of fortified foods, diversifying school meals to include foods that are rich in Vitamin D, relaunching “Project Dhoop” to promote safe sun exposure in schools, integrating screening and supplementation of Vitamin D in school health services, identifying the most vulnerable schools and regions to implement targeted interventions and building awareness among teachers and students to address Vitamin D deficiency in India.
