Current Affairs

Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day 2026 – 21 Oct; importance of iodised salt

21-10-2026 · English

Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day 2026 – 21 Oct; importance of iodised salt

Topics: Important Days · 21 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) Prevention Day is observed on 21 Oct 2026. It stresses adequate dietary iodine and the daily use of iodised salt. In India, the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP) implements Universal Salt Iodisation of all edible salt. No official theme has been announced for 2026.

Key facts

Date21 October (annual)
National programmeNational Goitre Control Programme (1962) → expanded and renamed NIDDCP in 1992
Salt standard (FSSAI)Iodine – 30 ppm at manufacture, at least 15 ppm at consumer level
BanFSS (Prohibition & Restriction on Sales) Regulations 2011, Reg 2.3.12 – non-iodised salt banned for direct human consumption
Iodising chemicalPotassium iodate
MonitoringSalt Commissioner's Organisation (Jaipur) – iodised salt output & quality; national reference lab – NCDC, Delhi

Background

  • Science: iodine is an essential part of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which regulate metabolism and brain development. Deficiency → enlarged thyroid (goitre) – usually the earliest sign.
  • Effects of deficiency in pregnancy: miscarriage, stillbirth; severe deficiency causes 'cretinism' in the child (intellectual disability, deaf-mutism, stunting); even mild deficiency lowers children's IQ.
  • Sources: iodised salt, sea fish, prawns and other seafood, seaweed (kelp), milk, eggs. Soils of hills and flood plains are iodine-poor – the Himalayan foothills were historically the 'goitre belt'.
  • Economy: Gujarat produces about 85% of India's salt (2021–22) – first; Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu about 6% each (Indian Minerals Yearbook 2022). Iodised salt output was about 7.86 million tonnes in 2020–21.

Tamil Nadu link: Thoothukudi district leads Tamil Nadu's salt production; there are also salt pans at Vedaranyam and Marakkanam. History: a team led by C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) set out from Tiruchirappalli on 13 April 1930 and broke the salt law at Vedaranyam on 30 April – the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha.

Source: PIB / Health Ministry note (Oct 2024) – NIDDCP; FSSAI FAQ; Indian Minerals Yearbook 2022 (Salt), IBM; SwissInfo/PARI (Thoothukudi salt pans)

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