New Delhi: In a major step towards integrating agriculture, nutrition and healthcare, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have jointly launched “SEHAT – Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation”, a national mission aimed at converting agricultural advancements into better public health outcomes.
The initiative was launched by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the presence of senior policymakers, scientists and stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, Nadda described SEHAT as a “historic step” and said India has moved from a reactive healthcare model to a preventive and holistic approach under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the programme reflects the government’s focus on affordable healthcare, early disease detection and nutrition-based prevention.
The Health Minister stressed the need for indigenous innovations, scientific research and outcome-based healthcare solutions. He said India currently faces a dual challenge of malnutrition and rising lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
Highlighting the importance of food and nutrition, Nadda said ICAR can help improve access to nutritious food systems, while ICMR can scientifically validate their health benefits. He also reiterated the Prime Minister’s appeal to reduce excessive consumption of sugar, salt and oil.
Addressing the gathering, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said agriculture and health are deeply connected and described the joint initiative as an “unprecedented and historic” collaboration. He said a healthy nation can only be built through better nutrition and sustainable agricultural practices.
The SEHAT mission is expected to strengthen coordination between science, policy and implementation to address emerging public health challenges in the country.
