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Question 15 of 22 · Abbreviations & Full Forms
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In nutrition, what does 'RDA' stand for?

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Answer: Option B — Recommended Dietary Allowance

Detailed Solution

RDA stands for "Recommended Dietary Allowance", the average daily amount of a nutrient that is enough to meet the needs of nearly all (about 97-98 per cent) healthy people of a particular age group, sex and physiological state.

About RDA:

  • The RDA is set for nutrients such as protein, vitamins (for example, vitamin A, C and D) and minerals (for example, iron, calcium and iodine).
  • It varies with age, sex, body weight, physical activity, and conditions such as pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  • It is based on the "Estimated Average Requirement" (EAR), the amount that meets the needs of half the people in a group, plus a safety margin.
  • The concept was first developed in the USA in 1941, during the Second World War, by the National Academy of Sciences, to ensure that soldiers and civilians received enough nutrients.

RDA in India:

  • In India, RDAs are prepared by the "ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition" (NIN), Hyderabad, set up in 1918 (as the Beri-Beri Enquiry Unit in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu).
  • The latest guidelines, called "Nutrient Requirements for Indians" (2020), introduced terms such as EAR, RDA and the "Tolerable Upper Limit" (TUL).
  • For example, the recommended protein intake for Indian adults is about 0.8-0.83 grams per kg of body weight per day.
  • NIN also publishes "Dietary Guidelines for Indians" (revised in 2024), which recommend a balanced diet from different food groups.

Related terms:

  • "Dietary Reference Intakes" (DRI): a set of reference values, including EAR, RDA, AI and UL.
  • "Adequate Intake" (AI): used when there is not enough evidence to set an RDA.
  • "Tolerable Upper Intake Level" (UL): the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause harm.
  • BMI: Body Mass Index (weight in kg divided by the square of height in metres).
  • BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate.

Programmes in India to fight malnutrition:

  • POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission): launched on 8 March 2018.
  • Mid-Day Meal Scheme, now "PM POSHAN" (2021).
  • National Nutrition Week: 1-7 September; "Poshan Maah": September.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗"Required Daily Amount" is not the correct expansion.
  • ✗"Regular Diet Average" is not the correct expansion.
  • ✗"Recommended Daily Activity" is not the correct expansion.

Quick tip

Remember: RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance (meets the needs of about 97-98 per cent of healthy people); in India prepared by ICMR-NIN, Hyderabad; POSHAN Abhiyaan = 2018; National Nutrition Week = 1-7 September.

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Abbreviations & Full Forms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Abbreviations & Full Forms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the full forms of common abbreviations used in government, banking, science, technology, defence, international relations and everyday life, such as ISRO, NABARD, SEBI, GDP, GST and UNICEF. These questions are quick marks if you have revised the most common abbreviations. Group them by field (banking, government bodies, science and technology, international organisations) and pay attention to small words such as 'of', 'for' and 'and', since wrong options often change just one word. Practise the abbreviations and full forms questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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