Why this chapter matters for UPSC: Nutrition sits where general science meets social policy. Prelims asks which vitamin prevents which disease and how to test a food for starch; GS2 asks why India, a food-surplus country, still has stunted children and anaemic women, and what POSHAN 2.0, Anaemia Mukt Bharat and fortification do about it. In NCERT's rationalised 2023-24 edition this is Chapter 1, "Components of Food", with the same text plus a new box on FSSAI's logo for fortified foods.

🧠 First Principles — Read This First

NCERT starts with meals from different regions: chapati, dal and brinjal curry; rice, sambar and bhindi; appam, fish curry and vegetables. Why do meals across India share the same pattern of a grain, a dal or meat, and vegetables? Because each dish is made of ingredients that contain nutrients, and the body needs all of them.

  • The major nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Food also contains dietary fibre (roughage) and water, which the body needs too.
  • Carbohydrates and fats mainly give energy. Proteins and minerals are needed for the growth and maintenance of the body. Vitamins help protect the body against diseases.
  • A diet with all the nutrients in the right quantities, plus roughage and water, is a balanced diet. A long-term lack of a nutrient causes a deficiency disease, and every deficiency disease can be prevented by a balanced diet.

PART 1 — Quick Reference

Nutrients and What They Do

ComponentWhat NCERT says it doesNCERT sourcesEnergy (ICMR-NIN)
Carbohydrates (starch, sugars)Mainly provide energy; "energy giving"Wheat, rice, maize, bajra, potato, sweet potato, sugarcane, papaya, mango, melon4 kcal per gram
FatsEnergy; much more than the same amount of carbohydrateGroundnut, til, nuts; meat, fish, eggs9 kcal per gram
ProteinsGrowth and repair; "body building"Gram, moong, tuar dal, peas, beans, soyabean; meat, fish, eggs, paneer4 kcal per gram
VitaminsProtect against diseases; keep eyes, bones, teeth and gums healthyA: papaya, carrot, mango, liver; C: amla, guava, orange, lemon, tomato; D: fish, egg, liver, and sunlight
MineralsNeeded in small amounts for growth and good healthCalcium, iron, phosphorus, iodine (NCERT figure)
RoughageNo nutrient, but adds bulk and helps the body get rid of undigested foodWhole grains, pulses, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables
WaterHelps absorb nutrients; throws out wastes as urine and sweatDrinks, cooked food, and water inside fruits and vegetables

Most foods contain more than one nutrient, but one usually dominates: rice is a "carbohydrate-rich" food.

Testing Food (NCERT activities)

NutrientTestPositive result
StarchAdd 2-3 drops of dilute iodine solutionBlue-black colour
ProteinMash with 10 drops of water; add 2 drops of copper sulphate solution and 10 drops of caustic soda solutionViolet colour
FatWrap in paper and crush; let any water dryAn oily patch that lets light through faintly

Deficiency Diseases (NCERT Table 2.3)

Vitamin or mineralDiseaseSymptoms (NCERT)
Vitamin ALoss of visionPoor vision, loss of vision in darkness (night), sometimes complete loss of vision
Vitamin B1BeriberiWeak muscles and very little energy to work
Vitamin CScurvyBleeding gums; wounds take longer to heal
Vitamin DRicketsBones become soft and bent
CalciumBone and tooth decayWeak bones, tooth decay
IodineGoitreGlands in the neck appear swollen; mental disability in children
IronAnaemiaWeakness

PART 2 — Concepts & Narrative

Vitamins, Roughage, Water

NCERT names vitamins A, C, D, E and K and a group called vitamin B-complex; the body needs all of them in small quantities. Vitamin A keeps skin and eyes healthy; vitamin C helps the body fight many diseases; vitamin D helps the body use calcium for bones and teeth. The body makes vitamin D in sunlight, and NCERT warns that "insufficient exposure to sunlight is causing Vitamin D deficiency in many people".

Key Term

Two families of vitamins (ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2011):

  • Fat-soluble: A, D, E and K. They can be stored in the body. Dietary fats are the vehicle that carries them and promotes their absorption.
  • Water-soluble: vitamin C and the B-complex (thiamin B1, riboflavin B2, niacin, pyridoxine B6, folic acid, cyanocobalamin B12). They are not stored and are easily excreted in urine.
  • B-complex and C are heat-labile: easily destroyed by heat, air, drying, cooking and food processing.
  • Beta-carotene in green, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits is converted to vitamin A in the body.

Roughage, mainly from plant foods, adds bulk and helps the body get rid of undigested food. Water helps absorb nutrients and removes wastes; cutting a tomato or a lemon shows that many foods themselves contain water.

Balanced Diet and Cooking

A balanced diet has all the nutrients in the right quantities, "not too much of one and not too little of the other", with enough roughage and water. Needs differ with age and with the amount of physical work. NCERT stresses that it need not be expensive: pulses, groundnut, soyabean, sprouted moong and Bengal gram, fermented foods such as idli, mixed-flour rotis (missi roti, thepla), banana, spinach, sattu, jaggery and local vegetables provide many nutrients.

Boojho's mistake: he ate only fat-rich food (samosa, poori, malai, rabdi, peda), reasoning that fat gives the most energy. Eating too much fat can lead to obesity.

Explainer

Nutrients lost in the kitchen (NCERT):

  • Washing vegetables and fruits after cutting or peeling may remove some vitamins; their skins contain vitamins and minerals.
  • Repeated washing of rice and pulses may remove vitamins and minerals.
  • Cooking in excess water that is thrown away loses proteins and minerals.
  • Vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat, so some raw fruits and vegetables belong in every diet.

ICMR-NIN adds that vegetables left to dry or cut and exposed to air lose most of their vitamin C to atmospheric oxidation.

Protein Quality and Iron Absorption (ICMR-NIN)

Key Term

Essential amino acids: proteins are made of amino acids; the essential ones cannot be made in the body and must come from food. ICMR-NIN: animal proteins (milk, meat, fish, eggs) are high quality because they supply all essential amino acids in the right proportions; plant proteins are low in some of them, but "a combination of cereals, millets and pulses provides most of the amino acids, which complement each other". The 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians puts it as a number: cereals and pulses in the ratio 3:1 improve the quality of protein in a meal. Dal-chawal and the mixed-flour rotis NCERT lists work for this reason.

Iron: iron from plant foods is poorly absorbed; iron from meat, fish and poultry is absorbed well.

  • Vitamin C-rich fruits such as amla, guava and citrus improve iron absorption from plant foods.
  • Tea binds dietary iron and makes it unavailable; ICMR-NIN advises avoiding tea and coffee for at least an hour before and after meals.

Which food has the most vitamin C? In the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN), amla has 252 mg per 100 g, guava 214-222 mg, against about 43 mg for orange pulp and 48 mg for lemon juice. Amla leads, but pink guava is close behind.

Deficiency Diseases and Malnutrition

NCERT describes two kinds of undernutrition. Too little protein for a long time brings stunted growth, swelling of the face, discolouration of hair, skin diseases and diarrhoea. Too little carbohydrate and protein together can stop growth completely: the person becomes very lean, thin and weak. These are the severe forms of protein-energy malnutrition that ICMR-NIN names kwashiorkor and marasmus. Lack of a vitamin or mineral causes the diseases in the table above.

UPSC Connect

India's nutrition data (NFHS):

IndicatorNFHS-5 (2019-21)NFHS-6 (released 29 May 2026)
Children under 5 stunted35.5%29.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted7.7%5.2%
Children under 5 underweight32.1%31.8%
Children under 5 wasted19.3%not in the release
Children 6-59 months anaemic67.1%not in the release
Women 15-49 anaemic57.0%not in the release
Women 15-49 overweight or obese24.0% (12.6% in NFHS-3, 2005-06)
Men 15-49 overweight or obese22.9% (9.3% in NFHS-3)
Children under 5 overweight3.4% (1.5% in NFHS-3)

Until NFHS-6 anaemia figures are published, NFHS-5 remains the latest national anaemia data. The Health Ministry's release on NFHS-6 also notes "the dual burden of undernutrition and rising overweight/obesity among adults": the double burden of malnutrition.

Diabetes: the IDF Diabetes Atlas (11th edition, 2025) puts India second in the world after China, with 89.8 million adults aged 20-79 with diabetes in 2024. The ICMR-INDIAB study (The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2023; 1,13,043 people aged 20 and over in 31 States and UTs) found a weighted prevalence of 11.4% for diabetes and 15.3% for prediabetes.

Government Programmes

UPSC Connect
  • POSHAN Abhiyaan: launched by the Prime Minister on 8 March 2018 at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. It now runs within Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, which also covers Anganwadi services and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls: actual spending ₹21,014.02 crore in 2024-25, Budget Estimate ₹23,100 crore for 2026-27 (Union Budget 2026-27).
  • Anaemia Mukt Bharat: a 6x6x6 strategy: six beneficiary groups (children 6-59 months, 5-9 years, adolescents 10-19, pregnant women, lactating mothers, women 15-49) and six interventions: iron-folic acid supplements, deworming, behaviour change and diet diversity, digital testing and treatment, IFA-fortified foods in government programmes, and non-nutritional causes (malaria, haemoglobinopathies, fluorosis). It is not confined to iron deficiency.
  • PM POSHAN (school meals): about 11.80 crore children in 11.20 lakh schools, approved for 2021-22 to 2025-26. The Ministry of Education notes that schemes ending in March 2026 continue until 30 September 2026 or until approved for the 16th Finance Commission cycle, whichever is earlier.
  • Fortification: NCERT's 2023-24 edition adds FSSAI's logo for fortified foods and defines fortification as "the addition of key vitamins and minerals to staple foods such as rice, wheat, oil, milk and salt".
Explainer

Iodised salt: how the rule changed (Supreme Court record). A ban on selling non-iodised common salt for direct human consumption was inserted in the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules by a notification of 27 November 1997 (in force 27 May 1998). It was withdrawn from 30 September 2000, then re-imposed by G.S.R. 670(E) of 17 November 2005. In Academy of Nutrition Improvement v Union of India (4 July 2011) the Supreme Court held the 2005 rule beyond the rule-making power of the old Act, but kept the ban in force for six months so that the government could act. Food standards now sit under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. ICMR-NIN's 2024 guidelines say: use iodised salt and keep added salt to at most 5 g a day.

Reading a Food Label

UPSC Connect

FSSAI (set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006) regulates labels.

  • Veg and non-veg marks (FSS Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020): vegetarian = a green filled circle inside a square with a green outline; non-vegetarian = a brown filled triangle inside a square with a brown outline.
  • Bold nutrition information: a draft amendment to show nutrition information in bold letters was notified on 17 February 2025; the Food Authority deferred it at its meeting of 24 November 2025.
  • Front-of-pack labels: the 2022 draft proposed an Indian Nutrition Rating of 0.5 to 5 stars. In 3S and Our Health Society v Union of India, the Supreme Court pressed FSSAI to act; on 10 September 2026 it recorded FSSAI's proposal of a red hexagonal warning ("HIGH FAT", "HIGH SUGAR", "HIGH SALT", "HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE") for foods high in added fat, sugar or salt, using ICMR-NIN's 2024 thresholds, and called it "significant progress". It had not been notified as a final regulation by that date.
  • Don't confuse: the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) sets standards for products under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; FSSAI sets food standards.

PART 3 — UPSC Integration

The chapter's three ideas run straight into policy. Nutrients and their functions explain why the Public Distribution System's cereals alone cannot end malnutrition and why fortification, eggs and pulses in school meals matter. Deficiency diseases map onto national programmes: iodised salt for goitre, iron-folic acid and Anaemia Mukt Bharat for anaemia, vitamin A and D for eyes and bones. NFHS data show progress on stunting alongside a rising double burden of obesity and diabetes, which is why labelling and limits on salt, sugar and fat are now debated as public-health tools. Answers should pair the science (what the nutrient does) with a dated figure and a named programme.

Exam Strategy

Prelims traps:

  • Iodine test = blue-black (starch); copper sulphate + caustic soda = violet (protein); oily patch = fat.
  • Night blindness = A; beriberi = B1; scurvy = C; rickets = D; goitre = iodine; anaemia = iron.
  • Fat-soluble: A, D, E, K. Water-soluble: C and B-complex; B and C are destroyed by heat.
  • Vitamin C is lost in cooking and when cut vegetables are left exposed.
  • Roughage gives no nutrient but is essential.
  • Amla tops the IFCT 2017 vitamin C list, ahead of guava; tea reduces iron absorption.
  • NFHS-6: stunting 29.3%, underweight 31.8%, severe wasting 5.2%; anaemia data still NFHS-5.
  • IDF Atlas 2025: India 2nd in adults with diabetes (89.8 million).
  • Non-veg mark: brown triangle in a square (not a dot). BIS is under Consumer Affairs, not DPIIT.

Mains angle: Explain the double burden of malnutrition in India with NFHS data, or examine whether front-of-pack labelling can change diets.

Practice Questions

Practice (UPSC-pattern, not past papers). Real UPSC questions on this chapter are listed in the PYQ box above.

Prelims:

  1. A food sample turns violet when copper sulphate and caustic soda solutions are added. It contains:
    (a) Starch
    (b) Protein
    (c) Fat
    (d) Vitamin C

  2. Which of the following vitamins are fat-soluble?

    1. Vitamin A
    2. Vitamin C
    3. Vitamin D
    4. Vitamin K
      Select the correct answer using the code below:
      (a) 1 and 2 only
      (b) 1, 3 and 4 only
      (c) 2, 3 and 4 only
      (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

  3. Scurvy is caused by a deficiency of:
    (a) Vitamin A
    (b) Vitamin D
    (c) Vitamin C
    (d) Vitamin B1

  4. According to NFHS-6, released in May 2026, the share of stunted children under five in India is about:
    (a) 35.5%
    (b) 29.3%
    (c) 19.3%
    (d) 57.0%

  5. Consider the following statements:

    1. Vitamin C-rich foods improve the absorption of iron from plant foods.
    2. Tea taken with meals increases iron absorption.
    3. Vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat during cooking.
      Which of the statements given above are correct?
      (a) 1 and 2 only
      (b) 1 and 3 only
      (c) 2 and 3 only
      (d) 1, 2 and 3

  6. Under FSSAI's labelling regulations, the symbol for non-vegetarian food is:
    (a) A brown dot inside a square
    (b) A red circle inside a square
    (c) A brown filled triangle inside a square with a brown outline
    (d) A brown star inside a circle

  7. The Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy:
    (a) Targets only iron-deficiency anaemia in pregnant women
    (b) Covers six beneficiary groups and includes non-nutritional causes such as malaria and haemoglobinopathies
    (c) Is run by the Ministry of Education through school meals
    (d) Replaced iron-folic acid supplementation with fortified rice

Mains (UPSC-pattern):

  1. "India faces a double burden of malnutrition." Examine with reference to NFHS data and suggest a policy response. (150 words)
  2. Explain how traditional Indian meals combining cereals and pulses improve protein quality, and why iron deficiency persists despite iron-rich foods. (150 words)

📦 Revision Capsule

Revision Capsule

Hard Facts

  • Nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals; plus roughage and water
  • Energy: carbohydrates and fats; growth and maintenance: proteins and minerals; protection: vitamins
  • Tests: iodine → blue-black (starch); CuSO₄ + NaOH → violet (protein); oily patch (fat)
  • A → loss of vision; B1 → beriberi; C → scurvy; D → rickets; calcium → bone and tooth decay; iodine → goitre; iron → anaemia
  • Fat-soluble A, D, E, K; vitamin D made in sunlight
  • NFHS-6 (29 May 2026): stunting 29.3%, severe wasting 5.2%, underweight 31.8%
  • POSHAN Abhiyaan launched 8 March 2018, Jhunjhunu

Core Concepts

  • A balanced diet supplies everything in the right amounts and need not be expensive
  • Cooking and washing waste nutrients; vitamin C is heat-sensitive
  • Cereals + pulses complement each other's amino acids
  • Malnutrition includes both under- and over-nutrition

Confused Pairs

  • Rickets (vitamin D) vs scurvy (vitamin C) vs beriberi (B1)
  • Fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) vs water-soluble (C, B-complex)
  • Stunting (low height for age) vs wasting (low weight for height) vs underweight (low weight for age)
  • FSSAI (food standards) vs BIS (product standards)

PYQ Pattern

  • Mains 2024 GS2 asked how to break the cycle of poverty and malnutrition. Prelims general science asks vitamins and deficiency diseases, food tests and fortification.

Sources

Sources