UPSC Current Affairs September 9th 2026

News at a Glance

India’s Fortification Fight: Addressing Hidden Hunger through Food Fortification and Biofortification

Relevance: UPSC GS Paper III: Agriculture, biotechnology, food security and sustainable development

Important Keywords for Prelims and Mains

Prelims

Mains

Why in News?

India continues to face a serious nutrition challenge involving under-nutrition, over-nutrition and micronutrient deficiency. The Global Nutrition Report 2026 estimates that nearly 2.6 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet. Food fortification and biofortification are being promoted as important strategies to address hidden hunger in India.

Understanding Hidden Hunger

Hidden hunger refers to the deficiency of essential micronutrients such as iron, iodine, zinc, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

A person affected by hidden hunger may get enough calories but may still lack essential vitamins and minerals. This makes the problem difficult to identify in the early stages.

Hidden hunger can lead to:

Weak immunity
Poor physical growth
Anaemia
Learning difficulties among children
Low productivity in adulthood
Higher disease burden

Thus, hidden hunger is not only a health issue. It is also linked with education, productivity, poverty reduction and human capital development.

India’s Malnutrition Challenge

India faces a multi-pronged malnutrition problem. It includes both lack of nutrition and excess nutrition.

The major forms are:

Under-nutrition: Low intake of adequate food and nutrients.
Micronutrient malnutrition: Deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals.
Over-nutrition: Rising obesity and overweight among adults.

According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for nearly one-third of global undernutrition. This shows the scale of India’s public health challenge.

The problem has worsened due to several factors:

Impact of COVID-19
Climate change
Regional conflicts
Food price rise
Disruption in food supply chains
Poor dietary diversity

These factors affect India’s progress towards:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

What is Food Fortification?

The World Health Organization defines food fortification as the deliberate increase of one or more micronutrients in food.

In simple terms, food fortification means adding essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods.

It is done to:

Improve the nutrient value of food
Restore nutrients lost during processing
Reduce micronutrient deficiency among large populations
Improve public health through staple food systems

Examples of Food Fortification

Iodine added to salt
Iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 added to rice
Vitamins A and D added to edible oil
Double Fortified Salt containing iodine and iron

Food fortification is useful in a country like India because large numbers of people depend on staple foods such as rice, wheat, salt and edible oil.

Global Importance of Food Fortification

Food fortification is widely used across the world as a public health strategy.

According to the Global Nutrition Report:

More than 100 countries have salt iodisation programmes.
Salt iodisation has helped prevent nearly 750 million cases of goitre in the past 25 years.
At least one cereal grain is fortified in 86 countries.
More than 30 countries have fortified edible oils.

These examples show that food fortification can produce large public health benefits when it is properly implemented and monitored.

What is Biofortification?

Biofortification means increasing the nutrient density of crops at the production stage.

It can be done through:

Conventional plant breeding
Transgenic approaches
Modern biotechnology-based methods

Unlike food fortification, where nutrients are added after harvest during processing, biofortification improves the crop itself.

For example, a biofortified pearl millet variety may naturally contain higher iron content. When people consume such crops regularly, they receive better nutrition through their normal diet.

Promising Results of Biofortification

According to the WHO, iron-biofortified crops have shown encouraging results in different countries.

Examples include:

Philippines: Iron-biofortified rice
India: Iron-biofortified pearl millet
Rwanda: Iron-biofortified beans

These examples show that biofortification can help reduce iron deficiency among target populations.

Biofortification is especially important for rural and low-income communities because it improves nutrition through crops that people already grow and consume.

India’s Progress in Biofortification

Between 2014 and 2024, India developed and released 152 biofortified crop varieties through the National Agricultural Research System.

These include:

Wheat: 53 varieties
Millets: 26 varieties
Maize: 24 varieties
Rice: 14 varieties
Oilseeds: 21 varieties
Pulses: 9 varieties
Grain amaranth: 5 varieties

This shows that India is trying to integrate nutrition goals with agricultural research.

Biofortified crops can support:

Nutrition security
Farmer-level adoption of healthier crops
Sustainable agriculture
Reduction in hidden hunger
Better health outcomes among rural communities

Food Fortification and Biofortification: Difference

Aspect	Food Fortification	Biofortification
Stage	Nutrients are added during processing	Nutrients are improved during crop production
Main method	Addition of vitamins and minerals to food	Plant breeding or biotechnology
Example	Fortified rice, iodised salt, fortified oil	Iron-rich pearl millet, zinc-rich wheat
Cost nature	Requires repeated processing support	Requires one-time investment in seed development
Delivery system	Works through PDS, ICDS, PM-POSHAN and markets	Works through farmers, seeds and agriculture systems
Main advantage	Quick large-scale nutrient delivery	Sustainable long-term nutritional improvement

Both methods are complementary. India needs both approaches because the scale of malnutrition is large and diverse.

India’s Policy Push for Fortified Food Grains

India’s focus on fortified food grains increased after the launch of Anemia Mukt Bharat in 2018.
The objective was to address anaemia and micronutrient deficiency, especially among women, children and adolescents.

Rice Fortification Programme

A pilot programme for rice fortification was launched in 2019.

The fortified rice included:

Iron
Folic acid
Vitamin B12

By March 2024, the Union government decided to replace all custom-milled rice with fortified rice under major government schemes.

These schemes include:

Public Distribution System
Integrated Child Development Services
PM-POSHAN
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

Extension till 2028

The fortified rice scheme was extended till December 2028.

The central government allocation for this was ₹17,082 crore.

PM-POSHAN Guidelines

Under PM-POSHAN, the Department of School Education and Literacy instructed the use of:

Double Fortified Salt
Fortified edible oil containing vitamins A and D
Fortified rice

This is important because schools are a major platform to improve child nutrition.

Temporary Discontinuation under PMGKAY

In February 2026, after a review of PMGKAY, the government temporarily discontinued rice fortification under PMGKAY and allied schemes.

This decision was based on an IIT Kharagpur report, while the government looked for a more robust and effective nutrient-delivery system.

However, this decision does not affect:

PDS
ICDS
Mid-Day Meal schemes

Significance

Food fortification and biofortification are important for India because they directly address micronutrient deficiency.

Public Health Significance

Reduce anaemia and vitamin deficiency.
Improve immunity among children and women.
Help in better physical and mental development.
Reduce long-term disease burden.

Educational Significance

Better nutrition improves concentration and learning ability.
Healthy children are more likely to attend school regularly.
It supports better outcomes under school nutrition programmes.

Economic Significance

Malnutrition reduces productivity in adulthood.
Improved nutrition strengthens human capital.
A healthier workforce supports long-term economic growth.

Governance Significance

Fortification can use existing welfare systems such as PDS, ICDS and PM-POSHAN.
Biofortification connects agriculture with public health.
It promotes coordination among health, agriculture, education and food departments.

Challenges

India’s diverse geography and climate make uniform implementation difficult.
Storage and transportation conditions may affect the shelf life of fortified rice.
Poor packaging can reduce the quality of fortified food grains.
Monitoring of nutrient content and quality standards remains essential.
Biofortified crops require greater awareness among farmers.
Farmers may need support through subsidised seeds, inputs and assured procurement.
Nutrition outcomes may not improve if people lack dietary diversity.
Rising obesity shows that nutrition policy must focus on both deficiency and excess consumption.
The success of these programmes cannot be judged only by the amount of fortified food distributed.

Way Forward

Strengthen quality control for fortified food grains at production, storage and distribution stages.
Promote biofortified seeds through agricultural extension services.
Provide subsidised seeds and necessary inputs to farmers.
Encourage assured procurement and minimum support price support for biofortified crops.
Improve awareness among people about balanced diets and micronutrient needs.
Use schools, Anganwadi centres and health workers to spread nutrition awareness.
Link nutrition programmes with local food diversity.
Measure success through improved health indicators such as reduction in anaemia, stunting, wasting and underweight children.
Ensure coordination among health, agriculture, food, education and welfare departments.

Conclusion

India must move from mere food security to nutrition security. Food fortification and biofortification can play a major role in reducing hidden hunger, especially among children, women and low-income groups. However, they should be supported by dietary diversity, strong quality control, farmer awareness and effective public health monitoring. A combined approach can improve human capital, promote inclusive development and contribute to India’s goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.

CARE MCQ

Q. Consider the following statements regarding food fortification and biofortification in India:

Food fortification involves deliberately increasing micronutrients in food during processing.
Biofortification improves nutrient density of crops at the production stage.
India launched a pilot programme for rice fortification with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 in 2019.
Biofortification requires recurring nutrient addition after crop harvesting.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Statement-wise Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Food fortification means adding micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals to food during processing.

Statement 2 is correct: Biofortification improves the nutrient content of crops at the production stage through breeding or biotechnology.

Statement 3 is correct: India launched a rice fortification pilot programme in 2019 using iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.

Statement 4 is incorrect: Biofortification does not require recurring nutrient addition after harvesting. The nutrient trait is developed in the crop variety itself.

FAQs

1. What is hidden hunger?

Hidden hunger means deficiency of essential micronutrients even when a person receives enough calories.

2. What is food fortification?

Food fortification is the addition of vitamins and minerals to staple foods during processing.

3. What is biofortification?

Biofortification is the process of improving the nutrient content of crops at the production stage.

4. Which initiative increased India’s focus on fortified food grains?

The Anemia Mukt Bharat initiative launched in 2018 increased India’s focus on fortified food grains.

5. Why are the first 1,000 days important for children?

The first 1,000 days are critical for physical growth, brain development and future health.

6. Why does India need both food fortification and biofortification?

India needs both because food fortification gives quick nutrient delivery, while biofortification provides long-term nutrition through improved crops.

Sources: The Indian Express

Global Fintech Fest 2026: India’s Digital Finance Model and the Next Wave of FinTech Innovation

Relevance: UPSC GS Paper III: Indian economy, digital economy, financial inclusion, science and technology, cybersecurity

Important Keywords for Prelims and Mains

Prelims

Mains

Why in News?

The 7th Global Fintech Fest 2026 is being held in Mumbai from 8 to 11 September 2026. The event highlights India’s growing role in the global fintech ecosystem through Digital Public Infrastructure, UPI, Aadhaar, JAM Trinity and digital welfare delivery. The theme of GFF 2026 focuses on Agentic AI, Tokenisation and Quantum technologies for building trusted and inclusive financial systems.

Understanding FinTech

FinTech means the use of technology to improve financial services. It includes digital payments, online banking, digital lending, insurance technology, wealth technology, blockchain-based services and data-driven financial products.
In simple terms, FinTech helps people access financial services faster, cheaper and more conveniently. For example, a person can transfer money through UPI, open a bank account using digital identity, or receive government benefits directly into a bank account through DBT.
FinTech is important because it can reduce transaction costs, improve transparency, support financial inclusion and make financial services available to people who were earlier outside the formal banking system.

Global Fintech Fest 2026

The Global Fintech Fest 2026 is the 7th edition of the event. It is being held in Mumbai from 8 to 11 September 2026.

Since its beginning in 2020, GFF has grown into one of the world’s leading fintech gatherings. It reflects India’s increasing importance in digital finance and financial technology.

The event provides a platform for:

Global dialogue on financial technology
Collaboration among governments, regulators and fintech firms
Showcasing India’s digital finance model
Strengthening India’s engagement with developed economies, emerging markets and the Global South

The principal organisers of GFF are Payments Council of India, National Payments Corporation of India and Fintech Convergence Council.

The event is supported by major institutions such as MeitY, Department of Financial Services, NEST Division of Ministry of External Affairs, NITI Aayog, RBI, SEBI, IFSCA and PFRDA.

Theme and Core Technologies

The theme of GFF 2026 is:

“Potential to Impact: Agentic AI | Tokenisation | Quantum: Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance.”
This theme shows that the next stage of financial innovation will depend on advanced technologies that can make financial systems more intelligent, programmable and secure.

Agentic AI

Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can sense, decide and act in real time under proper governance frameworks.
In finance, it can help in fraud detection, regulatory monitoring, customer support, risk assessment and personalised financial services. However, its use must remain transparent, explainable and accountable.

Tokenisation

Tokenisation means converting assets into digital units that can be securely recorded and transferred.
It can support fractional ownership, instant settlement and better liquidity. It may transform capital markets, payments and digital asset-based financial services.

Quantum Technology

Quantum technology can bring major changes in computation and cybersecurity. In finance, it can support risk optimisation, faster computation and quantum-safe cryptography.
This is important because future financial systems will need stronger protection against advanced cyber threats.

Key Enabling Technologies Used by FinTech

FinTech depends on several technologies. These technologies help financial institutions provide faster and more efficient services.

Technology	Meaning
API	A set of rules that allows software systems to communicate with each other
Cloud Computing	Use of online computing resources to improve flexibility and reduce cost
Biometrics	Use of unique human features such as fingerprints or iris for identification
Distributed Ledger Technology	A system where transaction records are stored in multiple places at the same time
Big Data	Large volumes of data analysed through digital tools
AI and Machine Learning	Computer systems that learn from data and perform tasks requiring intelligence

India’s FinTech Transformation

India’s fintech growth is based on scale, innovation and public digital infrastructure. The introduction of Aadhaar, expansion of internet access and development of UPI have transformed the delivery of financial services.
India’s model is significant because it combines public infrastructure with private innovation. The government creates open digital systems, and private players build services on top of them.
This has helped India expand digital identity, instant payments and consent-based data sharing at population scale.

Importance and Benefits of FinTech

FinTech has changed the financial sector by improving efficiency, inclusion and competition.
UPI is a major example. It is recognised by the IMF as the world’s largest real-time payment system. In July 2026, UPI processed 2,365.8 crore transactions worth ₹29.88 lakh crore, with 741 banks live on the platform. Its transaction volume has grown nearly 12,000-fold since FY 2016–17.
FinTech also helps overcome market failures such as high transaction costs and information gaps. India’s Financial Inclusion Index improved from 43.4 in March 2017 to 70.0 in March 2026.
The growth of fintech has also diversified credit sources beyond traditional banking. This can improve competition, reduce overdependence on a few banks and strengthen the resilience of the financial ecosystem.

Foundation of India’s FinTech Success

India’s fintech ecosystem is built on Digital India and Digital Public Infrastructure. These systems provide universal access, digital identity, interoperable payments and open digital networks.

JAM Trinity

The Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile Trinity is the foundation of digital financial inclusion.
Jan Dhan accounts provide access to banking. Aadhaar provides digital identity. Mobile connectivity enables people to use digital financial services.
As of 26 August 2026, 59.15 crore Jan Dhan accounts had been opened. Aadhaar enrolments crossed 144 crore by March 2026.

Unified Payments Interface

UPI provides an interoperable digital payment system. It allows instant transfer of money between bank accounts.
UPI transactions reached 24,509 million in August 2026. The platform handles nearly 50% of global real-time digital transaction volume and operates in 11 countries.
This shows India’s growing global influence in digital payments.

Digital Identity and Documents

Aadhaar e-KYC helps verify customers digitally. It reduces paperwork and saves time in opening accounts and accessing financial services.
Aadhaar e-KYC processed more than 2,458 crore transactions as of 29 June 2026.
DigiLocker had over 73.53 crore registered users and issued 936.03 crore documents. It helps citizens store and share verified digital documents.

Digital Welfare Delivery

Direct Benefit Transfer uses digital financial infrastructure to send government benefits directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
This reduces intermediaries, leakages and delays. Cumulative DBT transfers reached ₹53.26 lakh crore as of September 2026.
DBT shows how digital finance can support welfare governance and transparency.

Open Digital Commerce

Open Network for Digital Commerce extends India’s open digital approach beyond payments.
By June 2026, ONDC reached more than 20 crore buyers and 5 lakh sellers across 1,000+ cities.
Its financial services category can help fintech firms reach new users and markets.

Regulatory and Consumer Protection Framework

As fintech expands, regulation becomes essential to protect consumers and maintain trust. India has created a regulatory framework to support innovation while managing risks.

Major Regulatory Measures

RBI’s Framework for Self-Regulatory Organisations in FinTech Sector, issued in May 2024, promotes ethical conduct, market integrity and dispute resolution.
RBI’s Master Directions on Digital Payment Security Controls, 2021 prescribe minimum security standards for digital payment channels such as internet banking and mobile banking.
NPCI uses AI and Machine Learning-based fraud monitoring for UPI transactions.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 aim to protect personal data.
The RBI Regulatory Sandbox, introduced in August 2019, allows new financial products and services to be tested in a controlled environment.
For digital lending, safeguards include a Digital Lending Apps directory, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, helpline 1930, and the SACHET portal for complaints related to illegal deposit collection.

Significance

GFF 2026 is important because it presents India as a global leader in inclusive digital finance. India’s model shows how technology can support financial inclusion at population scale.

It also supports India’s economic diplomacy. By sharing its digital public infrastructure experience with emerging economies and the Global South, India can strengthen its role as a trusted technology partner.

For citizens, fintech improves access to payments, savings, credit, insurance and welfare benefits. For the economy, it supports formalisation, transparency and innovation-led growth.

Challenges

Cybersecurity threats may increase as digital financial transactions expand.
Digital fraud, fake lending apps and data misuse can affect consumer trust.
The digital divide may exclude people without smartphones, internet access or digital literacy.
Overuse of AI may create risks of bias, lack of transparency and weak accountability.
Dependence on large digital platforms may create concentration risks.
Strong regulation is needed without discouraging innovation.

Way Forward

Strengthen cybersecurity and fraud detection systems.
Improve digital literacy, especially among rural users, senior citizens and first-time users.
Promote responsible use of AI with transparency and accountability.
Expand secure digital public infrastructure to more sectors.
Encourage fintech innovation through regulatory sandboxes.
Strengthen data protection and consumer grievance redressal.
Share India’s DPI experience with the Global South through digital cooperation.

Conclusion

India’s fintech journey shows how public digital infrastructure can support inclusive growth. Platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, DBT, DigiLocker and ONDC have expanded access, reduced costs and improved transparency. However, the next phase of fintech must focus on cybersecurity, data protection, responsible AI and consumer trust. A secure, inclusive and innovation-friendly fintech ecosystem can support India’s digital economy and contribute to Viksit Bharat 2047.

CARE MCQ

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Global Fintech Fest 2026 and India’s fintech ecosystem:

The 7th Global Fintech Fest 2026 is being held in Mumbai.
UPI handles nearly 50% of global real-time digital transaction volume.
The RBI introduced the Regulatory Sandbox framework in August 2019.
ONDC is limited only to digital payment services.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The 7th Global Fintech Fest 2026 is being held in Mumbai from 8 to 11 September 2026.

Statement 2 is correct: According to the given information, UPI handles nearly 50% of global real-time digital transaction volume.

Statement 3 is correct: The Reserve Bank of India introduced the Regulatory Sandbox framework in August 2019.

Statement 4 is incorrect: ONDC is not limited only to digital payments. It is an open digital commerce network and its financial services category is creating new opportunities for fintech products.