Detailed info...

Hard-cover

• 2018

Pages: 426

ISBN: 9789332704428

INR 1695

No 35, Sector 7, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon - 122050. Haryana

Telephone: +0124-4215070, 4215071.

Fax: +011-23245005.

Email:books@academicfoundation.com

Child Development and Nutrition

The Indian Experience

Shreeranjan

Description

The book encapsulates policy and programme reforms and concurrent initiatives recognising early childhood development as the cornerstone of the nation’s overall well-being for holistic human development. It reflects upon the arduous processes undertaken to make such humongous and path-breaking efforts a reality. This treatise gives a rare peep in process driven approach by laying-out and reiterating the areas that need improvement and greater attention in respect of India’s problem of childhood under-development and under-nutrition which has remained one of the most discussed issues in recent times.

The work offers a peek into the world of strategic planning in social developmental arena. Key contours of a joint strategy paper to addresses India’s nutrition challenges which led to the first ever decision of the Prime Minister’s Nutrition Council and several policy decisions are elaborated. It reflects the pursuit and persistence required in promotion of inclusive, equitable and contextualised opportunities for optimal child development at National level. It also lays some key priorities, convergences, pathways and the way forward for strengthening and carrying out early childhood development and nutrition efforts.

The book lays emphasis for greater momentum and energy to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through the missions of the Nutrition, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to attain holistic child development.

Praise for this book

I am glad that the very important topic of child development and nutrition in India has been dealt within a very comprehensive and authoritative manner by Dr Shreeranjan.

—Prof M.S. Swaminathan,

Emeritus Chairman and Chief Mentor, MS Swaminathan

Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai.

The book is very rich in content and is likely to be of immense help to administrators who are keen to design interventions to end malnutrition.

—Dr A.K. Shiva Kumar

Development Economist and Visiting Professor at Harvard and
other universities; former Member of National Advisory Council,
Government of India.

I must commend Dr Shreeranjan for bringing out this very timely publication, which I am sure will serve as a valuable source book in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for health, nutrition and early education, within a multisectoral framework. With India hosting the ICDS, which is the largest, integrated, multisectoral programme for children below six years, the experiences and learning from it are undoubtedly unique and invaluable for both the national and international community, as they move forward on planning for the SDGs in the years ahead.

—Prof Venita Kaul

Professor Emerita (Education) and Executive Chairperson,
Center for Early Childhood Care and Development (CECED),
Ambedkar University, Delhi.

It is well recognised that the future of any country is in the hands of its children. This is particularly true for India today because we currently have the largest ever global cohort of children in the history of mankind. Interventions to improve child nutrition, child health and child development are therefore of utmost importance to the country. India has been in the forefront of research to document the dimensions and determinants of child nutrition and development and conceptualising and planning appropriate interventions for improving child nutrition. These have resulted in a slow but steady reduction in the prevalence of under-nutrition in children. There have been huge interstate differences in terms of initial status of children, the coverage and content of the interventions and improvement in the nutritional status of children. These aspects have been exhaustively dealt within this book. In order to accelerate the pace of improvement in nutritional status, we have to learn from the errors in the past and build on the success achieved. The rich experiences shared in this volume will be of immense help in this direction.

—Dr Prema Ramchandran

Director, Nutrition Foundation of India, New Delhi.

About the Author(s) / Editor(s)

Shreeranjan has had long career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and has held key positions of responsibility and leadership in various departments and Ministries in both the State Government and Government of India. He was Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Woman and Child Development and was responsible for policy formulation and implementation of government programmes pertaining to child development and child rights, nutrition, early childhood care and education, women empowerment, international cooperation, etc. He also served as Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary to the Govt. of India in the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), and was also empanelled as Secretary to Government of India. He also served as Chairman, Board of Revenue and Additional Chief Secretary in Government of Meghalaya, and also as Chairman of Meghalaya Biodiversity Board. He has also participated in several prestigious international and national conferences, representing the Country in international forums relating to women and child development and was also awarded National E-Governance Award in 2014. He has contributed and authored several books, important reports, research publications relating to a large spectrum of topics including child development. He has also contributed extensively and edited the first ever State Development Report (SDR) and Human Development Report for the State of Meghalaya. He is a Postgraduate in Botany apart from being a Postgraduate in Management and Implementation of Development Projects (Manchester University, UK) beside holding a PhD in Biotechnology. Prior to joining IAS, he was part of the academia having served as Assistant Professor/Lecturer in Botany for four years in Ranchi University.

Contents in detail:

List of Tables and Figures

Abbreviations/Acronyms

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Overview

1. Child Development and Nutrition: Challenges in India

Introduction

Current Gaps and Challenges

2. Combating the Nutrition Challenge:Developing an Inclusive Strategy

Background

Developing and Refining the Strategy Note

Sorting the Stubborn Undernutrition Challenge

Refining What Needs to be Done and How

Conclusion

3. Child Development and the ICDS Scheme:
Transforming the Scheme into a Mission

Introduction

Rationale for ICDS Scheme Restructuring

Logical Framework in Deriving Key Strategies

Key Strategies

Rationale for ICDS Scheme Mission

Strengthening of ICDS Scheme

Concurrent Measures for Strengthening the ICDS Scheme

The Way Forward

4. Multi-sectoral Nutrition Programme: Convergence for Nutrition

Introduction

Background

Consultations with the Stakeholders

Features of the Scheme

Scope and Coverage

Programme Components

Institutional Arrangements

Implementation Plan

Other Concurrent Policy Initiatives for Nutrition

Post Script

5. Creating Awareness: Nation-wide IEC Campaign Against Malnutrition

Introduction

Objectives

Thematic Priorities

Development of Framework and Communication

Strategy of IEC Campaign

Evolution of the Communication Strategy

Campaign Approach

The Making of the Campaign

In-Principle Approval of the Approach to the IEC Campaign

Four Stages of the Campaign

Implementation

Conclusion

6. Early Childhood Care and Education:
Developing a Policy and Framework

Provisions in the Constitution, Policies and Plans

The Initiative of Formulation of the National

Policy Framework on ECCE

National Policy on Early Childhood Care and Education

Strategies and Action Plan at Macro Level

Conclusion

7. Planning for Action: Addressing the Implementation Challenge
in ICDS Scheme

Introduction

Background and Context

The Beginning

Suggested Preparatory Steps and Processes

Learning from the First Year of APIP Implementation

Suggestions by the States

8. Reforming the Management Information System:
Strengthening Information Management and Outcomes Monitoring

Introduction

Rationale for Revision of MIS

Processes

Revised MIS Registers and their Key Features

Induction Training of ICDS Scheme Functionaries
on Roll-out of Revised MIS

Way Forward

Conclusion

9. Rapid Survey on Children: Baseline for Measuring Results

Introduction

Objectives

Survey Implementation

Survey Design

Data Collection

Quality Assurance for Reducing Non-sampling Errors

National Scenario on Child Development as Emerged from RSOC

Conclusion

10. Looking Ahead: Calling for Action to Effect Rapid Change

Making Child Development and Nutrition a Non-zero Sum Game

Enabling Policy Environment

Converging Efforts

Strengthening/Re-activating Institutional Arrangements

Leveraging and Augmenting Institutional Knowledge and Capacities

Community Ownership

Awareness Creation

Monitoring, Surveillance and Measuring Results on Key Indicators

Quality Enhancement of Existing Interventions

Conclusion

Annexes

References