Minimum Needs

Minimum Needs Programme

The Minimum needs Program (MNP) was introduced in the country in the first year of the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974–78). The objective of the programme is to provide certain basic minimum needs and thereby improve the living standards of the people. It is the expression of the commitment of the government for the social and economic development of the community particularly the underprivileged and undeserved population.

Initially, there were eight components of MNP

a. Elementary education
b. Rural Health.
c. Rural Water Supply.
d. Rural Electrification.
e. Rural Roads.
f. Nutrition.
g. Environmental improvement of Urban Slums.
h. Houses for landless labourers.

While adult education was added to the list of MNP components in the Sixth Plan. rural domestic energy, rural sanitation and public distribution system were added during the Seventh Plan.
There are two basic principals which are to be observed in the implementation of MNP
a. The facilities under MNP are to be first provided to those areas which are at present undeserved so as to remove disparities between different areas.
b. The facilities under MNP should be provided as a package to an area through intersectoral area projects, to have a greater impact.

The objectives set in different areas as part of minimum needs program:
 Rural health (to be achieved by year 2000)
 one Primary Health Centre (PHC) for 30,000 population in the plains and 20,000 population in tribal and hilly areas
 one Subcentre for 5000 population in plains and 3000 population in tribal and hilly areas
 one Community Health Centre (CHC) for 1 lakh population
 Nutrition
 Extend nutrition support to 11 million eligible people
 Expand ‘Special nutrition program‘ to all ICDS projects
 Consolidation of midday meal program and linking it to health, potable water and sanitation

While in some areas of MNP, great strides have been made since the launching of the programme, for