Key facts

  • ICMR, founded in 1911, is India's apex biomedical research body;
  • ICMR-NIN's 2020 nutrient requirement report gives RDA and EAR values for Indians by age, sex, physiological status and physical activity level.
  • ICMR-NIN's 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians advise variety, breastfeeding for the first 6 months, safe complementary feeding after 6 months and red...
  • ICDS was launched on 2 October 1975 to provide supplementary nutrition, preschool education, immunisation support, health check-ups and referral servi...
  • The National Food Security Act, 2013 gives legal backing to nutritional support for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children through maternity b...

Key Points at a Glance

  1. 1

    ICMR, founded in 1911, is India's apex biomedical research body; NIN began as the Beri-Beri Enquiry Unit at Coonoor in 1918 and provides the main Indian reference for diet and nutrient requirements.

  2. 2

    ICMR-NIN's 2020 nutrient requirement report gives RDA and EAR values for Indians by age, sex, physiological status and physical activity level.

  3. 3

    ICMR-NIN's 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians advise variety, breastfeeding for the first 6 months, safe complementary feeding after 6 months and reduced ultra-processed foods.

  4. 4

    A balanced diet supplies energy, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre in correct proportions rather than depending on a single staple food.

  5. 5

    ICDS was launched on 2 October 1975 to provide supplementary nutrition, preschool education, immunisation support, health check-ups and referral services for young children and mothers.

  6. 6

    The National Food Security Act, 2013 gives legal backing to nutritional support for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children through maternity benefit, ICDS and school meals.

  7. 7

    Adolescence, pregnancy and lactation are high-risk nutrition stages because growth, blood volume, tissue formation and milk production raise requirements for protein, iron, calcium, folate and energy.

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Balanced diet: meaning and exam importance

A balanced diet is a diet that provides all essential nutrients in amounts needed for normal growth, maintenance, work capacity, immunity and reproduction. It includes macronutrients, micronutrients, water and dietary fibre. The idea is not just "enough food"; it is the correct quality and proportion of food. A cereal-heavy plate may fill the stomach but can still be poor in protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A or vitamin B12. For an objective nutrition paper, the key distinction is between calorie adequacy and nutrient adequacy.

ICMR-NIN frames balanced eating through variety and moderation. The 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians emphasise that no single food group supplies all nutrients. Cereals and millets give most carbohydrate energy; pulses, milk, eggs, fish and meat improve protein quality; vegetables and fruits add vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre; oils and nuts provide essential fatty acids and concentrated energy. In Rajasthan ICDS work, this translates into counselling families to improve ordinary meals, such as bajra roti with dal, curd, seasonal greens and a small amount of oil, rather than promoting expensive special foods.

Remember the core test point: balanced diet is nutrient-complete, age-appropriate, safe, culturally acceptable and affordable.

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