National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) was founded by Sir Robert McCarrison in the year 1918 as ‘Beri-Beri’ enquiry unit and the Institute emerged as full-fledged laboratory called National Institute of Nutrition in 1967. The NIN has attained global recognition for its pioneering studies on various aspects of nutrition research, with special reference to protein energy malnutrition (PEM). Institute’s activities are broad-based, encompassing the whole area of food and nutrition. The Institute has achieved close integration in its research activities between the laboratory, the clinic and the community. The emphasis shifted to problem-oriented research, with a view to discovering practical solutions to nutrition problems that can be applied within the existing socio-economic framework. The NIN, over the eighty years of glorious service to the nation, has to its credit an impressive record of achievements in the amelioration of several nutritional disorders of our people. The Institute has been recognized by many national and international agencies as Centre for conducting advanced as well as ad-hoc training courses in nutrition and laboratory animal sciences. Institute is highly involved in identification of various dietary and nutrition problems prevalent among different segments of the population of the country, monitors diet and nutrition situation of the country and to come up with effective methods of management and prevention of nutritional problems besides planning and implementation of national nutrition programmes.

• 1. Number of publications [4085] from 1919-2015. 2. Early studies on nutrient deficiency disorders: The studies on parboiled and milled rice helped to explain the incidence of beriberi among rice eaters in the east coast of Andhra region where milled rice was consumed largely and no incidence in Madras where parboiled rice was consumed more. Stomatitis associated with the deficiency of B group of vitamins, particularly riboflavin, was described for the first time in India, and a treatment with yeast and skimmed milk was found to be effective. The Institute was also the first to describe a clinical condition called 'burning feet syndrome', which was found to be due to vitamin B deficiency, and prescribed its treatment with vit. B. 3. Institute has conducted diverse studies on nutritive values of Indian foods: The Nutritive Value of Indian Foods and Planning of Satisfactory Diets were published in 1937, and 'Nutritive Value of Indian Foods' in 1970s. The new 'Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) 2017 is the compilation of nutritional information on 151 discrete food components for 528 key foods. 4. Institute makes formulation of recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) 5. Institute makes dietary guidelines for Indians 6. Institute has conducted detailed Studies on protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). 7. Contribution to national programmes and policies: NIN provides nutrient requirements for national programmes aimed at vulnerable groups, conducts nutritional assessment surveys etc. NIN’s public health nutrition reports have been used by nutritionists, epidemiologists, policymakers and more so by the Planning Commission. NIN’s research was also the basis for the Government of India in the 1970s, to launch a supplementary feeding programme to provide 300 Kcal/day to improve the nutritional status of children in rural areas and in urban slums, which was operated under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). 8. Contribution to the National Prophylaxis Programme against nutritional blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. 9. Supplementation of iron and folic acid to pregnant women programmes under National Nutritional Anemia Prophylaxis Programme (1970). 10. Operational research to strengthen nutrition programmes like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to assess its impact on the nutritional status of children. 11. Development of Nutrition Surveillance System (NSS) to promote effective functioning of ICDS and nutritional well-being of the beneficiaries, the NIN developed 'AAA' (triple A) approach covering Assessment, Analysis and Action involving the entire ICDS mechanism from the grassroots level to the supervisory level. 12. Regular nutritional surveys in 10 to 16 States and generated a dynamic database on diet and nutritional status of the communities. The most recent survey was the 'Diet and nutritional status of urban population in India and prevalence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia in urban men and women' released in 2017. 13. Balamrutham: NIN in collaboration with State governments has developed micronutrient-fortified (iron, folic acid, B1, B2, B12, niacin, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium) take-home ration called Balamrutham for 6-36 month old children, which is being implemented in all districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 14. Food safety and toxicology: Studies on food toxins explored some major areas such as neurolathyrism, aflatoxicosis, argemone toxicity and epidemic dropsy and erucic acid toxicity in edible oil. Significant contributions have been made by the Institute in identifying the nature of the toxic factors and in providing solutions for prevention and control. 15. Investigations on epidemic dropsy. 16. Knowledge, attitude, belief and practice (KABP) study on food safety. 17. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs): Most recently, in 2017, the NIN has generated data on the prevalence of overweight/obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in urban and rural areas from 16 States of India. The urban survey alone covered as many as 1, 71, 928 individuals from over 52,500 households of 1097 wards of 16 States. 18. Fenugreek seeds in the management of diabetes. 19. Research on edible oils. 20. Recommended use of multiple oils. 21. Health effects of trans-fats. 22. Outreach and human resource development. 23. Training programmes/courses: The World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also sponsored many candidates to take part in these training courses annually. Some of the programmes are masters of applied nutrition, PG certificate course in nutrition, annual training course on endocrinological techniques, other Adhoc programmes and master programmes in sports nutrition, physiology and biochemistry. 24. Double-fortified salt (DFS). Research highlights from year 2002-2014 [http://www.nin.res.in/researchhighlights.html]. An important link for research output of NII [http://www.nin.res.in/downloads/IndianJMedRes1485477-718003_001158.pdf].