ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition, India

Down the memory lane

The Founder

Sir Robert McCarrison

National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) was founded by Sir Robert McCarrison in the year 1918 as ‘Beri-Beri’ Enquiry Unit in a single room laboratory at the Pasteur Institute, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Within a short span of seven years, this unit blossomed into a "Deficiency Disease Enquiry" and later in 1928, emerged as full-fledged "Nutrition Research Laboratories" (NRL) with Dr. McCarrison as its first Director. It was shifted to Hyderabad in 1958.At the time of its golden jubilee in 1969, it was renamed as National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

Achievements

Directors of NIN

VISION

To eliminate all forms of malnutrition in India through healthy, sustainable and environment friendly diets and lifestyles.

MANDATE

Know More

To generate high quality evidence for tackling important public health nutrition problems among the population groups

Conduct operational research for planning and implementation of national nutrition programs in the country
Studying food and environmental safety challenges to ensure such challenges are met to provide safe food to the consumer through R&D, capacity building and training, and provision of scientific advice to various government authorities involved in food production, processing and control

To provide the best estimates of the nutrient profile database of various foods consumed by the population. To create database for the biodiversity of food resources in the country consumed by the different marginalized indigenous populations of the country

Establishment of Dietary Reference Intake Values, Recommended Dietary Allowances, and Dietary Guidelines for Indians

Conducting innovative basic science research of high translational value on nutrient metabolism, interactions, requirements, and responses

Studying the risk factors of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through multidisciplinary clinical and community-based research

Developing human resources, capacity building and training in nutrition

Disseminating evidence-based nutrition knowledge to the community

Extending technical advice and support to food regulatory and standard making bodies in the country

The stepping stones

NIN has attained global recognition for its pioneering studies on various aspects of nutrition research, with special reference to protein energy malnutrition (PEM). Institute’s activities are broad-based, encompassing the whole area of food and nutrition. The Institute has achieved close integration in its research activities between the laboratory, the clinic and the community.

The emphasis shifted to problem-oriented research, with a view to discovering practical solutions to nutrition problems that can be applied within the existing socio-economic framework. National Institute of Nutrition, over the Century years of glorious service to the nation, has to its credit an impressive record of achievements in the amelioration of several nutritional disorders of our people.

Location – a landmark

The Institute is located on the salubrious campus of Osmania University with spacious buildings surrounded by lush green vegetation. The Institute's strength lies in the dedicated and devoted scientists belonging to diverse disciplines such as medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, biochemistry, pathology, community health, social sciences, dietetics, statistics, communication and other related areas.

The Institute has been recognized by many national and international agencies as Centre for conducting advanced as well as ad-hoc training courses in nutrition and laboratory animal sciences. In addition, several reputed universities have recognized NIN as a Centre for Ph.D programmes in different disciplines.

It possesses sophisticated equipment and swell-equipped modern facilities and for clinical, laboratory and community based research. Nutrition Wards with adequate inpatient and outpatient facilities are available at hospitals viz., Niloufer Hospital for Women and Children, Government Maternity Hospital and Osmania General Hospital to carry out research in clinical nutrition.

The Institute's library, well stocked with books and journals is considered as one of the best science libraries in India. In addition, computer facilities are available for sophisticated data analysis and information retrieval from database.

The "Nutrition Museum" of the institute is an important teaching tool which highlights different aspects of food and nutrition and also covers the work undertaken at the Institute.

NIN today

NIN's birth place at Coonoor, Tamil Nadu

Objectives

To identify various dietary and nutrition problems prevalent among different segments of the population in the country.
To continuously monitor diet and nutrition situation of the country.
To evolve effective methods of management and prevention of nutritional problems.
To conduct operational research connected with planning and implementation of national nutrition programmes.
To dovetail nutrition research with other health programmes of the government.
Human resource development in the field of nutrition.
To disseminate nutrition information.
To advise governments and other organisations on issues relating to nutrition

What We Do ?

Provide Evidence

Evidence based inputs on food and nutrient consumption patterns; trends in nutrition status of population across age and physiological groups; Micro and Macronutrient values of foods, maternal and child nutrition, NCD biomarkers, Environmental pollution/toxins affecting health, Drug nutrient interaction, Nutrition and immune response.

Providing Guidelines

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), Dietary Guidelines for Indians, Diet and Diabetes, Diet and Heart Diseases, Diet during Pregnancy (region-specific guidelines), Nutrition and Infection

Influence Policies

National Nutrition programmes such as Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Mind-day Meal (MDM) programme, Clinical Management – Severe Acute Malnutrition (CM-SAM) & many state level Nutrition programs; Vitamin A prophylaxis, Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation, Double Fortification of Salt (DFS) with iron and iodine, Recommendations on vegetable oils Food fortification guidelines to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (-FSSAI), Food and ground water regulations (yellow mustard, flourosis, lead)

Raise Awareness

We broaden knowledge and understanding of how nutrition and balanced diets coupled with physical activity and lifestyles can help improve mental and physical wellbeing and how they can reduce communicable and non-communicable diseases by developing tools, sharing best practices, and holding engaging public events. NIN Mob App, e- Learning modules and host of videos and pamphlets

Developing Human Resource

Two full time MSc courses, short term certificate courses, Ph.Ds, two training programes for medical college faculty and public health personnel, Anthropometry assessment, Nutrition & Dietary assessment, National fluorosis training, PCT for regulatory bodies, Animal handling. Added to these, custom-made training programmes on demand in adhoc mode

Need based support during public health emergencies

Extending support to Governments/ICMR to explore, assess and combat public health issues and outbreaks – Kidney diseases in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh; deaths in tribal areas of Attapady in Kerala, Food and water borne illnesses in Bholakpur area of Hyderabad, Rapid assessment of nutritional status of children in areas affected with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Muzzaffarpur, CoVID 19 and so on