Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: A Kamrup district project using small fish powder to fight malnutrition has earned the Assam government's Karmashree award. School Inspector and District Elementary Education Officer Tapan Kumar Kalita led the initiative, known as Matsya Paripusti. It adds processed fish powder into meals at Anganwadi centres and lower primary schools.
Assam faces severe nutritional challenges. NFHS-5 data shows 33 per cent of children under five are underweight. Meanwhile, the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project reports 68 per cent of children aged six to 59 months suffer from anaemia. Kalita noted the logic behind the program: "According to the government nutrition scheme, children are provided eggs once a week as a source of protein. We thought that since Assam has abundant fish resources, fish powder could provide an additional source of protein and other nutrients."
The process uses indigenous mua fish, like dorikona. Machines dry the fish into a powder to keep nutrients in bones and tissues while removing the fishy smell. Pre-schoolers aged three to six receive 7 grams three times weekly. Students in lower primary schools receive 8 grams three times weekly. The pilot program reached 3,300 children in 2024. Data from WorldFish showed a 95 per cent acceptability rate among students. Studies also confirmed improvements in haemoglobin levels and growth parameters.
Officials plan to expand the program under PM-POSHAN and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. Operations will move into Kamrup, Darrang, and Morigaon districts. The B Barooah Cancer Institute is exploring the powder as a patient supplement. Beyond Assam, Telangana will adopt the model in September 2026. The project also aims to boost the rural economy by creating demand for local fish processors and farmers.
Updated at 13th August 2026 at 6:15pm
The project, which earned the Karmashree award, involved a complex coordination between the departments of Fisheries, Education, Social Welfare, and Health. The College of Fisheries in Raha, local NGO partners, and Farmer Producer Companies also assisted the rollout, which was funded by the World Bank-aided Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project.
Before the 2024 expansion, the team ran a major push in September 2023 during Nutrition Month, feeding nearly 7,000 children across 293 Anganwadi centres. To ensure the findings held water, researchers conducted controlled studies with baseline, midline, and endline testing. They monitored blood parameters and growth charts, submitting the final data to the National Fisheries Development Board in January 2025.
The project also accounts for dietary restrictions. Food for the roughly five per cent of students who follow a vegetarian diet is set aside before workers mix in the fish powder. Tapan Kumar Kalita, reflecting on the recognition, said, "This award inspired us to do more good work for the community and also made us believe that if you do your work honestly and diligently, somewhere or the other people observe it. Hard work never goes unnoticed. This will help many children and people, and that motivates us to serve society even more."
Comments