An Uphill Task for POSHAN Abhiyan: Examining the Missing Link of ‘Convergence’

ABSTRACT

The Participatory Approach for Nutrition in Children Strengthening Health, Education, Engineering and Environment Linkages(PANChSHEEEL) project is a collaboration between University College London, Save the Children India, Jawaharlal Nehru Universityand Indian Institute of Technology Delhi to develop a socio-culturally appropriate, tailored, integrated and interdisciplinary intervention inrural India and test its acceptability for delivery through Anganwadi Centre (AWCs) and schools. Recognizing the socio-ecologicaldeterminants of under-nutrition, the POSHAN Abhiyan (POSHAN Mission) adopts a multi-sectoral approach to achieve five goals, ofwhich two are directly related to children. The POSHAN Abhiyan resonates with the conceptual framework of the PANChSHEEEL study inits interdisciplinary scope and focus on local linka ges. This paper draws upon empirical evidence from the PANChSHEEEL Project inBanswara (one of the POSHAN mission districts), Rajasthan to help understand linkages between policy and practice, specifically thechallenges of operationalizing ‘convergence’, the core strategy of the Abhiyan.