The Nutrition and Lifestyle Risk Surveillance System (NULRISC) is a national initiative led by the ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) to address the growing burden of overweight, obesity, and lifestyle-related health risks across different stages of life. NULRISC provides a digital, validated, and scalable platform for real-time monitoring of nutrition and lifestyle risk factors at both institutional and individual levels.
Through an integrated mHealth-based system, NULRISC supports students, parents, teachers, clinicians, and program managers (RBSK, RKSK, and other health programs) with personalized insights into dietary patterns, physical activity, and lifestyle behaviors using AI, machine learning, and IoT-enabled tools. Designed to be user-friendly, sustainable, and evidence-driven, NULRISC bridges existing gaps in nutrition and lifestyle surveillance systems and empowers institutions to take informed action against obesogenic behaviors and environments.
NULRISC is committed to improving youth health outcomes through:
Driving Better Health Outcomes Through Innovation and Inclusion
Our MissionTo empower schools, colleges, students, and communities with accurate data, digital tools, and actionable insights that promote healthier behaviors and reduce the long-term burden of obesity and non-communicable diseases.
Our VisionTo create a scalable, evidence-based system that strengthens India’s capacity to identify, monitor, and prevent nutrition and lifestyle-related risks, ultimately contributing to healthier educational environments and improved public health outcomes.
Driving Better Health Outcomes Through Innovation and Inclusion
Rising obesity among Indian adolescents and youth
Increasing prevalence of lifestyle-related NCD risk factors
Limited real-time data for policy and intervention planning
Need for digitized, scalable tools for risk surveillance
Driving Better Health Outcomes Through Innovation and Inclusion
Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), a premier nutrition research institution in India is committed to advancing the science of nutrition and addressing public health challenges in India and beyond. In the glorious history of ICMR-NIN spanning longer than a century since its establishment in 1918, the institute has been contributing significantly to the nutrition policies and programs that have shaped the health and well-being of our population. Our mission is to provide evidence-based solutions to combat public health challenges of malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and non-communicable diseases and to ensure the food and nutritional security through innovative and impactful research. The knowledge products from our institute serve as a resource for policymakers, researchers, and communities, providing insights that empower individuals to lead healthier lives. From our role in national programs like POSHAN Abhiyaan to our collaborations with global organizations, we are dedicated to translating research into actionable impact.
At ICMR-NIN, we pride ourselves on the interdisciplinary nature of our research, which encompasses clinical, and population studies, nutritional biochemistry and molecular biology, food safety, dietetics, nutrition communication and extension. Our contributions, such as the Indian Food Composition Tables, nutrient requirements for Indians, and the Dietary Guidelines for Indians are few examples that have set benchmarks in public health nutrition. We are actively engaged in several ongoing projects aimed at improving the diet and nutritional status of our population. These initiatives focus on studying the current status as well as trends in the nutritional status of our population through a nationwide Diet and Biomarkers Survey which involves comprehensive data collection in about 200,000 individuals, interventions targeting amelioration of public health nutrition challenges like childhood undernutrition, anaemia, non- communicable diseases, developing India-specific growth standards for children, and evaluating the Fortified Rice Program, among others. The research output from these initiatives will play a crucial role in shaping policy decisions and advancing public health outcomes. We also offer highly sought-after MSc and PhD programs for capacity building in nutrition research.
As we navigate the challenges of rapidly changing nutritional landscape marked by complex challenges of changing dietary habits, rising prevalence of obesity, non-communicable diseases, climate changes and threat to nutritional security, ICMR-NIN remains steadfast in its commitment to make an impact through excellence and innovation. With our committed team of talented scientists, state-of-the-art facilities, and a focus on community engagement, we aim to continue our legacy of strengthening knowledge base for building a healthier, more resilient India to realize the dream of Vikasit Bharat @2047.
Director’s Words:He joined ICMR–NIN in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a Medical Scientist E and is currently heading the Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition Division. He began his research work at NIN with COVID sero-surveys and is presently pursuing research on systems approaches to combat all forms of malnutrition. He completed his MD in Community Medicine from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad (2004).
As a Surveillance Medical Officer at the World Health Organization for three years in North Telangana and Bihar, he led efforts in Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance, measles outbreak investigations, mass immunization campaigns, and strengthening routine immunisation. He identified silent Type 1 Wild Poliovirus circulation in a remote border village, which influenced vaccination strategies and contributed to polio elimination in India. These efforts helped achieve a 99.9% global reduction in polio, saving over 1.5 million lives and preventing paralysis in 18 million children. This experience provided him with valuable hands-on expertise in public health implementation science.
Principal Investigator of the project:
We welcome researchers, institutions, and public health partners who are interested in working with NULRISC project data or proposing research ideas related to nutrition, lifestyle behaviours, physical activity, or obesity risk in Indian youth.
Together, we can bring innovative tools, smart assessments, and timely interventions to every student — ensuring no child is left behind. Let’s unite our strengths, share our vision, and work towards building a healthier generation for a healthier India.
In your email, kindly include a brief description of your proposed collaboration, research question, or data requirement. We aim to review all collaboration requests and respond within 4 weeks.
Please note that all data access is subject to the NULRISC data governance, ethical guidelines, and confidentiality policies.
If you would like to enquire about accessing datasets or materials not currently listed (e.g., qualitative data, methodological tools, pilot modules, intervention evaluations, or preliminary findings), please contact the NULRISC Coordination Team at: 📩 icmrninnulriscproject@gmail.com
 1.png){kind=logo}