Applications to be submitted on: www.inductusjobs.com/un (pdf format only)
Position: State Consultant Nutrition
Employing Agency (Employer): Inductus Limited
Duration of the contract: Initial contract will be issued till 31-Dec-2026 and may be further extended, subject to project requirements, satisfactory performance and funding availability.
Remuneration: Gross compensation budgeted for the position is very attractive. Please note that the offer made to the selected candidate shall be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Applicants to mention their current professional fee & expected professional fee on www.inductusjobs.com/un
No. of Vacancy: 1 Position (One)
Duty Station: Kolkata
Reporting Line: (1) Administrative Supervision- Inductus Limited
(2) Technical Supervisor-
Nutrition Specialist, UN ORGANISATION Kolkata
Coordination with Programme Officers of Departments of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare (DWCD&SW), Tribal Development Department (TDD), State Livelihood, Mission (SRLM) and School Education Department (SED).
Last Date for Application: 2nd September 2026 (Mid-Night)
CONTENT OF TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
1.BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
UN ORGANISATION is committed to support the government-led nutrition programmes for universal and equitable coverage of essential nutrition interventions for women, infants, young children (12-36 months) and adolescent girls aiming to reduce all forms of malnutrition (underweight, anaemia, overweight). Some of the priority objectives of the joint UN ORGANISATION and Govt of India country programme plan are improving timely and early detection of growth failure in infants, young children and pregnant women with focus on screening and linking to quality counselling, early and exclusive breastfeeding, and integrated care of children suffering from severe wasting (both community- and facility-based care) and to reduce maternal malnutrition by promoting nutritious diets, and iron-folic acid supplementation.
The programme is focus to strengthening equitable, gender-responsive, evidence-based and risk-informed policies and programmes targeting young children from birth to 3 years old, especially those under six months, with improved access to nutritious foods and essential nutrition interventions aimed at promoting early childhood development (ECD) and preventing malnutrition and developmental delays, it will aim to provide care for those with nutritional and climate risks. Adoption of healthy diets and nutritional care practices becomes critical to support optimal early childhood development and improved well-being of both mothers and children. Improving coverage, intensity and quality of nutrition interventions and ensuring continuity for impact requires technical support for planning, implementation and monitoring at the state level through close collaboration with various departments – DH&FW, DWCD&SW, TDD, and P&RDD (WBSRLM) and the overarching flagships of National Health Mission, PM Poshan and Poshan 2.0.
The State of West Bengal continues to face the nutritional challenges with multiple deprivation associated closely to malnutrition in children and women, such as early marriage and early first pregnancy leading to low birth weight and maternal mortality which as per recent data (SRS 2023-24) is 94 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Recent data on child nutrition from NFHS-6 (2023–24), shows 22.4% of children under five years are stunted, reflecting chronic undernutrition. Wasting is unabated at 20.3% of the children below 5 years and 4.8% children suffer from severe wasting. The State also faces the challenges of overnutrition with 2.1% children being overweight. Child nutritional outcomes are closely associated with infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. NFHS-6 findings show that only 50.0% of children under 3 years were breastfed within 1 hour of birth, indicating persistent gaps in early initiation of breastfeeding and number of institutional deliveries, a drop of 9 percent cent points from NFHS 5. Exclusive breastfeeding among infants under 6 months is 58.4%. Among children aged 6–8 months, 62.7% receive complementary foods along with breastfeeding, a drop of 5 percent points from NFHS 5, while adequate diet is received by only 28% of the children.
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