Preparatory Meeting Held for POSHAN Maah 2025 in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, September 12, 2025:A preparatory meeting for the upcoming POSHAN Maah 2025, to be observed from 17th September to 16th October 2025, was held today under the chairpersonship of Palika Arora, Director, Women and Child Development, Chandigarh Administration. The meeting focused on planning and coordinating activities to ensure the successful implementation of this nationwide nutrition awareness campaign under the Government of India’s flagship initiative, POSHAN Abhiyaan.

During the meeting, the Director highlighted the importance of the central themes of this year’s POSHAN Maah, which include addressing obesity by reducing sugar and oil consumption, early childhood care and education under the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative, promotion of healthy infant and young child feeding practices, increasing the role of men in nutrition, tree plantation under the campaign Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, and encouraging people to be vocal for local by choosing traditional and nutritious foods. She emphasized that the success of these themes lies in community mobilization, active participation of departments, and adopting a systematic approach to ensure maximum outreach and long-term impact.

Special focus was placed on organizing PMMVY (Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana) camps to enhance beneficiary coverage, along with efforts to break traditional barriers by involving men in nutrition-related activities and fostering shared responsibility towards maternal and child health. The Director also encouraged departments to take initiatives such as school and college-based awareness programs under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, tree plantation drives dedicated to mothers, promotion of locally available nutritious food, and dissemination of correct information on infant feeding practices and healthy lifestyle habits, particularly in relation to obesity.

In her concluding remarks, the Director of Social Welfare urged all stakeholders to work in close coordination so that the key messages of the campaign effectively reach every household. She stressed that POSHAN Maah is not only about spreading awareness but also about fostering sustainable behavior change to improve the health and nutritional status of women, children, and families at the grassroots level.

The meeting witnessed enthusiastic participation from institutions and organizations including PGIMER, GMCH-32, GMSH-16, AYUSH, Municipal Corporation, National Urban Livelihoods Mission, Education Department, Sports Department, Forest Department, NSS, FSSAI, and NGOs such as Kachi Sadak, Rocket Learning, and Sifaaz Foundation, who assured their active support in ensuring the success of the campaign in Chandigarh.

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Regional Office Chandigarh Undertakes Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) Drive Across Northern States

Chandigarh, 12th September 2025:The Regional Office, UIDAI Chandigarh, has launched a Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) drive across schools in the northern region, covering Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Leh-Ladakh.

Camps are being organized in both government and private schools to ensure that children receive timely biometric updates without affecting their academic routine. Institutions such as Ryan International School, Chandigarh, Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Chandimandir, and several Government Senior Secondary Schools including GSSS Kohala and other schools across Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu & Kashmir have already been covered under this initiative.

The biometric update is particularly important for children in the 0–5 and 15–17 year age groups. Keeping Aadhaar updated helps avoid errors in personal details or mismatches in verification. This is especially significant for students appearing in competitive examinations like JEE, NEET, and UPSC, where Aadhaar is required for registration. Updated Aadhaar also facilitates smooth access to scholarships, educational benefits, and government welfare schemes. Beyond academics, it eases processes related to admissions, higher studies, and services such as passport issuance.

The drive is being implemented with support from state education departments, school authorities, and Aadhaar ecosystem partners such as Banks, Post Office, BSNL, and DIT, ensuring smooth execution even in remote and hilly areas.

The Regional Office Chandigarh highlighted that Aadhaar is not just an identity document but an enabler of opportunities. Timely biometric updates safeguard students from challenges in their academic journey and future services. The cooperation of field teams, school staff, and administration has been key to the success of this effort.

The activity will continue in the coming days with the same pace and coverage until every eligible child is provided with an updated Aadhaar.

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Misleading Drug Worth ₹28 Lakh Seized by Drugs Control Wing, Chandigarh

As per the directions of the Chief Secretary, Chandigarh Administration, and under the able guidance of the Secretary Health and Director Health Services, U.T. Administration, Shri Tajinder Singh, Drugs Inspector, Chandigarh, acting on secret information, conducted a raid on M/s Shivam Surgicals and Formulations, Shop No. 172/2, Village Kajheri, Chandigarh, on 12.09.2025 at 04:00 PM.

During the inspection, the firm’s premises and records relating to various habit-forming Schedule H1 drugs, especially those containing Tapentadol salt, were examined. It was found that the drug Novadol-100 (Tapentadol 100 mg) was being sold in violation of mandatory labeling requirements, as the prescribed warning for Schedule H1 drugs was missing on its label.

Being misleading/misbranded, the entire stock of 70,250 tablets, valued at approximately ₹28 lakh, was seized by the Drugs Inspector. Samples of the drug were also drawn for test and analysis. Further, discrepancies in the sale records of the firm were observed. A show cause notice is being served to the firm, and appropriate action is being initiated under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules made thereunder. Such drives shall continue in the future as well.