Bengaluru: For years, the Indian military has focused on ways to modernise itself despite facing budgetary constraints. But military nutrition had curiously not featured as importantly as procurement of weapons and aircrafts in India’s ambition to possess a world class, lethal, technologically driven military. As Napoleon Bonaparte once said “An army marches on its stomach”. This phrase highlights the importance of the right nutrition that a soldier and an officer must receive in order to be physically and mentally fit for combat in challenging and diverse conditions. The Indian military operates in environments ranging from humid forested regions of the country’s Northeast to the extreme heat conditions of Thar desert in Rajasthan or cold and oxygen scarce areas in the Himalayas like the Siachen Glacier. Hence the military personnel require nutritious, safe, wholesome and quality food to aid their performance on field and keep their fitness at optimal levels. It is common in all professional militaries that combat units that perform tasks like manning outposts or patrolling are required to carry MRE (Meals Ready-to-Eat) products. On the other hand, a secure military base will have access to kitchens and mess halls where soldiers and officers can eat cooked meals prepared by cooks.
The Indian Army amongst the three services requires a thorough attention as its personnel require good nutrition to enhance their performance in endurance training. The Indian Navy and Air Force are technologically sound and may not necessarily face much challenges in storage, transportation and distribution of nutritious supplies round the clock. But the Indian Army requires high quality of food for its personnel as physically demanding tasks in absence of supporting equipment can risk muscle tears and tissue damage or even bone fractures. It would be incorrect to view military nutrition and civilian nutrition as the same as soldiers, airmen and sailors are always exposed to stressful situations like hypoxia, hypothermia and others. The military ensures that there is a uniform standard maintained in supply and uptake of rations to its personnel, irrespective of services offered from peace stations or forward operating bases, during war or peace time. This is because the personnel, especially in forward areas or other operational terrains may face challenges where they are supposed to subsist for days in the event of logistics being choked or stretched.
Apart from this, there has been a concern regarding the quality of rations and their shelf life. In 2017, a controversy erupted when a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier released his video on Facebook alleging that the food served to units on border duty was of poor quality. It prompted the Prime Minister’s Office to seek a detailed report from the Union Home Ministry. Although paramilitary forces (except Assam Rifles) do not come under the Ministry of Defence, the then Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar commented that he was personally monitoring the quality of food served to the Indian Army. But the controversy was preceded by a report published by the Army Design Bureau titled “Future core technologies and problem statements” which stated that tinned food along with some MRE products had issues with shelf life and lacked ‘Indian taste’ which was not popular with the soldiers. It goes onto mention that other countries use energy bars with taste that their military personnel are accustomed to. The report states that other countries are exploring the feasibility of using edible packing material which can then be disposed easily after use. In its 2020 report, the Army Design Bureau highlighted the need for test kits to check the quality of meat. Additionally, it also mentioned that high calorific value food was regularly procured from Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. The latest report in 2023 highlighted the need for fumeless kerosene oil heater at higher altitudes for preparation of food as well as water heaters to boil water for immediate use.
Not all problems are linked to quality standards or supply chain management within the armed forces. Some problems are external which requires interference from the government to frame a short-term to long-term actionable strategy. For instance, prolonged poverty over the decades has led to malnutrition and stunting amongst children. The cognitive problems that come from lack of critical nutrients can render performing simplest of tasks difficult, let alone solving complex problems that military life demands. If not cognitive problems, young recruits who look healthy at face value have a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Overall, it means that future military recruits can prove to be a liability in field operations. Indian society has predominantly relied on carbohydrate-rich food instead of balanced diet. To make matters worse, the onset of Green Revolution brought in its own set of problems in a state like Punjab which boasts of sending a large number of soldiers to the Indian Armed Forces. Use of chemical fertilisers and decline in the quality of soil has led to ailments like cancer, birth defects, blue-baby syndrome and so on. India also struggles to tackle cross-border narcotics trade which impacted the youth in Punjab. As a result, many military aspirants from the state are unable to clear physical and medical examinations during recruitment drives. For over a decade, a significant portion of the Indian Army was declared “obese”. Hence a zero-tolerance policy was adopted in 2017 to fight against obesity within the ranks by denying promotions and new postings if personnel failed to meet the optimal physical standards.
As India hosts the G20 Summit later this year and has actively promoted the consumption of millets, the Indian Army too has been at the forefront by introducing millet flour into the rations provided to soldiers. It will further be introduced through CSD canteens and shopping complexes which will have a positive impact on soldiers with risk of lifestyle diseases. Introducing millets will not only provide much needed proteins, fibre and micronutrients to soldiers but it can reduce the expenditure over rations as millets are a cheaper alternative to rice and wheat. There is also a great necessity for food processing startups to work closely with the Indian military to come up with special, high energy packed food with longer shelf life so that the morale of troops in forward areas is boosted.
Nobody talks about nutrition of soldiers. Great article highlighting this.