Just a few months back, two-year-old Vartika was unable to walk and weighed a mere 7.1 kg. Her fragile condition brought her to a Mini Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) in Cholapur of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. About 15 days later, Vartika emerged from the centre with newfound vitality — walking, running, and even dancing.

“Her weight increased to 7.6 kg, but more importantly, she left with a smile on her face,” IAS officer Himanshu Nagpal tells The Better India.

A couple of years earlier, the crisis was clear: According to the 2019 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), Varanasi had one of the highest rates of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in the state. With 13.3 percent of its children aged zero to six classified as SAM, the gravity of the situation demanded urgent action.

Rising to the challenge, the........

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