♦ NITI Aayog on 5 March 2026 said that it has signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with UNICEF India to support strategic interventions in aspirational districts and aspirational blocks. The objective of this agreement to leverage the strengths of both institutions to advance efforts towards improving maternal and child nutrition outcomes in underserved areas.

♦ The SOI was signed by Rohit Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme at NITI Aayog, and Arjan de Wagt, Deputy Representative at UNICEF India, the government think tank said.

♦ UNICEF India, via its platform IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N), will provide technical expertise and support engagement with businesses, public sector enterprises and industry associations to channel corporate social responsibility (CSR) investments into nutrition-focused initiatives, the government said.

♦ The agreement will focus on strengthening Anganwadi infrastructure, enhancing nutrition literacy, improving the uptake of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and building the capacity of frontline workers.