Free phytates.

"One in five girls and about one in six boys in India are married, with the progress made towards ending the practice of child marriage entirely stagnating in recent years, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health journal. Between 2016 and 2021, the practice of child marriage also became more common in some states and Union territories." DH. The Annual Status of Education Report, 2022, or the ASER 2022 report,..as per which the basic reading comprehension of school students in all classes has fallen to the levels of before 2012. On the other hand, the fundamental mathematics skills have fallen to the levels of the previous year. This fall in learning levels applies to both boys and girls from both government schools and public schools in the majority of states in India." India Today. Early marriage means early pregnancy. So, a combination of poor education levels with increased financial demands leads to poverty. Naturally, "According to the 2023 report on food security and nutrition by five UN agencies, 74.1% of Indians, approximately 1.043 billion people, were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021. The report also estimated India's proportion of undernourished population at 16.6% during 2020-2022." The Wire. Poor quality of nutrition along with pregnancy results in anemia. "Among healthy human beings, pregnant women and rapidly growing infants are most vulnerable to iron deficiency." "Total iron requirements during pregnancy (excluding blood loss at delivery) average about 1,040 mg." "Iron deficiency is common among pregnant women in industrialized countries." NIH. "The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (GOI), has decided to exclude anemia as an indicator of women's and children's health from the National Family Health Survey, 2023-24," because "the prevalence of anemia among women and children has risen," as "It currently affects 57% of women and 67% of children." DH. "India is planning to extend its free food grains program by five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said,...as the government tries to shield consumers from rising prices of cereals ahead of a general election next year." Reuters. "Iron absorption tends to be poor from meals in which whole-grain cereals and legumes predominate." NIH. "A pulse is the edible seed from a legume plant. Pulses include beans, lentils, and peas." Harvard. Although not cheap, pulses, known as dals in India, are the cheapest source of protein because animal proteins are at least twice as expensive. Perhaps, the idea is that if people do not have to pay for basic cereals they can use their earnings to supplement their diets with meat, fruits and vegetables. Problem is that poorly educated people have to engage in manual labor and need enormous amounts of calories. So, cereals with some dal may be all they can afford and these interfere with absorption of nutrients. "Phytates (phytic acid) in whole grains, seeds, legumes, some nuts - can decrease the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium. Saponins in legumes, whole grains - can interfere with normal nutrient absorption." Harvard. Free cereals may win elections but will not improve the health of mothers and babies. So, stop testing for anemia.