According to head of the department Subhadra Seshadri, the theme of the conference was relevant to the plethora of health concerns. She said that though remarkable advances had already been made in the production of cereal grains during the last 50 years, the availability of fruits and vegetables were far below the needs. ``It is estimated that nearly half of the population suffers from one or more deficiency, that seriously impair the physical and mental development of children,'' said Seshadri, adding that an increased production and better methods of preserving fruits and vegetables would enable to provide better diet to children.

``While a large section of the population does not have access to adequate and right type of food, another section is vulnerable to health problems due to over-consumption,'' said Seshadri.

She added that studies revealed that one-third of all babies born in India had a low birth weight, which was less than 2.5 kg. She added that keeping all this in mind it was necessary to have such a conference where researches and studies on health could be discussed.

The key-note address at the conference would be delivered by C Gopalan president of Nutrition Foundation of India. It will be inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor of M S University Anil Kane.