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Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
In Rajasthan, practical lessons in fatherhood: how to raise a child
During a weekly telephonic conversation with an anganwadi worker and the village poshan champion (community motivators) in late 2020, Mukesh Kharadi, 34, a resident of Dungarpur's Sabli village, was informed that his 32-year-old wife Jaya's pregnancy was considered 'high risk' because she was expecting twins and was highly anaemic. That conversation, says Mukesh, then a worker in a tile factory in Udaipur, nearly 100 km from his village, made him realise that he could no longer behave like a 'typical' husband. 'They said I need to be around to take care of Jaya and help raise our twins, who were later born prematurely. In my community, a man lives separately after marriage, but is never taught to take care of his pregnant wife or newborns. The wife manages on her own, at times, with help from anganwadi workers,' he tells The Indian Express, sitting on a plastic chair next to Jaya, their twins Prajna and Pragya on their lap, in their Sabli home. So Mukesh quit his job to drive tractors at nearby farms. 'The anganwadi worker and poshan champion taught me about the importance of nutrition for pregnant women. I know now that they need iron-rich foods like dals (lentils), nuts and coconut water. I even learned to cook fish and egg curry for Jaya,' he adds with a smile. Mukesh is part of a growing tribe of husbands actively involved in maternal and newborn care, an aspect of pregnancy earlier deemed as 'women's work'. For Rajasthan, this is where the solution to its problems lay. Despite the Central flagship scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) — for pregnant and lactating women, low birth-weight indicators continued to plague the state. To improve maternal and child nutrition, Rajasthan decided to augment the PMMVY by launching a cash plus model (money transfers combined with additional services) as a pilot programme. Around 2020, Rajasthan's Department of Women and Child Development launched its Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) strategy across its five tribal districts of Banswara, Baran, Dungarpur, Udaipur, and Pratapgarh. The programme, being managed by the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), was launched with technical support from IPE Global, an international development consultancy group. In a first for an Indian state, the SBCC included cash initiative in the form of direct benefit transfers (DBT): Rs 5,000 (in two installments) for the birth of the first child and Rs 6,000 for the second birth, provided the child was a girl and the pregnancy registered. A recent report card on Rajasthan's cash plus model shows huge improvements in women's access to nutrition in these districts, including a nearly 50% rise in early breastfeeding, women being more receptive to home-based counselling, improvement in dietary diversity among expectant mothers and more women using cash specifically for nutrition. Nearly two lakh women expecting their second child in these five districts benefited under the scheme's financial aid and counselling services, the report card states. SBCC's biggest success, however, came from a crucial element — the involvement of men in maternal and newborn care — a crucial component that was neglected earlier under various schemes on maternal care. Take the case of Jaya's pregnancy. Due to her low haemoglobin levels, village poshan (nutrition) champion Rajendra Baranda helped Mukesh understand the importance of nutrition for the health of his wife and unborn children. Rajendra, who visits homes across Sabli village to counsel families and register new beneficiaries regularly, says, 'I make it a point to speak to the men now.' Veena Prajapati, a worker at Nala Fala Anganwadi Centre in the village for 15 years, says the SBCC has helped shift focus. 'Earlier, our work was limited to women. Now, we are also engaging with men. The change is gradual, but it's happening,' she says. Several outreach strategies were launched to foster this shift, including a poster campaign portraying caring husbands as 'true Baahubalis (the one with strong arms)', a nod to the 2015 action-fantasy film directed by S S Rajamouli, creating a men's WhatsApp groups to share nutrition tips for pregnant and lactating women, regular village health and nutrition committee meetings, and kala jathas (traditional street plays). 'In these posters, we ask, 'Who is the real Baahubali?' The answer is simple, the one who takes care of his wife,' says Veena. Talking about the reference to Baahubali, Mahendra Kumar Soni, Secretary, State Department of Women and Child Development, who is currently steering the initiative, says, 'It was a part of our 'Hero-Hub-Hygiene' model (during phase one of the campaign). The idea was to redefine what it means to be a hero. At that time (when the campaign was launched), Baahubali was a hugely popular figure — strong, masculine and powerful. We used that cultural reference to flip the narrative: our messaging portrayed Baahubali not as someone defined by physical strength, but as a caring, responsible husband, one who accompanies his wife to the anganwadi centre and ensures she attends antenatal check-ups.' Another effective tactic has been the amavasya baithak, a fortnightly meeting with men on women's nutrition. 'It's a challenge, since most men work in places away from the village. The WhatsApp groups help us stay connected,' she adds, emphasising that this is 'just the beginning'. Explaining how the SBCC was formulated, he says their strategy was based on a study that explored key aspects of messaging: content, frequency, delivery methods and the identification of primary stakeholders who needed to be engaged. Soni says, 'When we went into the field, we realised that simply speaking to women wasn't enough. Even if we gave cash directly to the mother or advised a pregnant woman on what to eat and when, it wasn't effective, because the decision-making power didn't lie with her.' He explained that choices around nutrition, including what to eat and what to avoid, were often made by the mother-in-law. 'Since they typically take household decisions, we included mothers-in-law in our intervention strategy. Similarly, the husbands, who play a key role since they usually buy food from the market. We realised that fathers of pregnant women also need to be educated about proper nutrition. That's why we started engaging with men directly,' he adds. He says the intervention strategy was designed using concentric circles around the pregnant woman. 'The first circle includes the husband; the second, the mother-in-law; the third, the extended family; and the fourth, the broader community. This understanding shaped the communication model, which includes home-based counselling and one-on-one digital outreach targeting men,' he says. During the second phase of the campaign in 2022, the concept of Baahubali evolved. 'We realised that the idea of a hero need not be limited to husbands or men. A father-in-law, an aunt, a neighbour — anyone who positively contributes to a healthy pregnancy and safe childbirth can be a Baahubali. Anyone who supports and empowers a pregnant woman becomes a hero in her story.' (The writer was in Dungarpur on an invitation from the Rajasthan government)
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Rajasthan's cash plus model pushes up early breastfeeding rate, dietary diversity among new mothers
The recently released report card on Rajasthan's Cash Plus model — India's first State-led pilot to converge Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) with Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) for improving maternal and child nutrition — indicates a 49% rise in early breastfeeding (now reaching 90% of newborns), 44% of women being more receptive to home-based counselling, 49% improvement in dietary diversity among pregnant women, and 54% more women using cash specifically for nutrition. The State government scheme augments the national Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), which provides financial assistance to pregnant and lactating women for their first living child. It aims to improve the health and nutrition of mothers and their infants by offering cash incentives. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Rajasthan carried out the assessment of its enhanced programme through a three-year field study starting 2021. 'Rajasthan is the first to combine cash support for pregnant women with social and behaviour change interventions (SBCI), such as counselling, home visits, and sessions on nutrition and health. It also includes second-time mothers. This model is already showing a real impact on diet, early registration, and check-ups,' said Om Prakash Bunkar, Director, Women and Child Development Department, Rajasthan. The scheme was started at the end of 2020 in five districts: Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, and Baran, as a pilot. It was scaled up to cover the entire State in 2022. The announced budget for the scaled-up version of the scheme is ₹210 crore, targeting around 3.5 lakh second-time pregnant women in the State per year, as per the budget announcement. Digital media Through the programme, pregnant and lactating women are offered home-based and group nutrition counselling on maternal and child health and nutrition. The programme also includes community and social engagements to drive local behaviour change, and the use of digital media to target younger audiences and male household members. While Rajasthan is focused on reducing mortality rates and improving overall well-being, the challenges it faces includes — incomplete data collection (maternal deaths), disparities in care with the large part of this densely populated State being rural and tackling poverty and lack of education cover. Meanwhile, the initiative promotes healthy dietary practices, encourages institutional healthcare utilisation, and strengthens community support systems. To date, it has directly benefited over 3.3 million women, driving measurable improvements in maternal and child health outcomes across the state. As per the survey report, 80% of women reported improved affordability and access to nutritious food, attributing this to greater household awareness and counselling support. Speaking about how the scheme has helped her, Raju Kumari from rural Rajasthan shared: 'During pregnancy, the Anganwadi worker registered me and ensured I got vaccinations and checkups. My anemia was detected early, and I was given iron treatment and nutrition advice. With full support from my mother-in-law and others at home I had a normal delivery at a government hospital, and my baby weighed over 3 kg.'
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Kaushambi case: Probe team summons SDM, CO, records statements of victim, family
The team of the State Backward Classes Commission (SBCC), which reached Kaushambi to investigate the Lonhada case, met SDM Sirathu and CO, Sirathu at the Circuit House on Friday and sought details related to the case. The team also took the girl's statement, copies of documents related to the case, besides the suicide note of the father of the accused. These copies will also be attached with the investigation report to be sent to the chairman of the Commission. The State Backward Classes Commission had formed a five-member team to investigate the Lonhada case which included the Commission's vice chairman Surya Prakash Pal, members Vinod Kumar Singh, Balak Das, Richa Rajput and Ashok Kumar. On Friday morning, before recording the statement of the girl and her family members besides villagers, the team summoned SDM Sirathu Yogesh Kumar Gaur and CO Satyendra Tiwari at the Circuit House in Manjhanpur, Kaushambi. Both officers were quizzed on various developments of the case for about an hour including how it all started, under what circumstances the case was registered and what happened that the sections of rape and Pocso were removed in a hurry, on what basis the case of murder by poisoning was registered against five people including the gram pradhan and the girl's father. Surya Prakash Pal, heading the investigating team said that the entire incident has been investigated thoroughly. He said the statements of SDM and circle officer had also been taken and soon the investigation reports would be sent to chairman of the Commission. Health check-up of victim done A medical team of Community Health Center, Kada, reached Lonhada village on Friday and conducted a health check-up of the victim. In a video of the victim's mother circulated on social media, she could be heard talking about her daughter's ill health. CHC superintendent Dr Mohd Saud said that the girl is completely fine. She had some trouble due to hot weather. ORS and glucose have been given. 'Will get justice for the girl' District president of Aam Aadmi Party Mohd Ilyas reached Lonhada village on Friday with party officials and workers. He met the girl and her family and assured them of all possible help. He said that under pressure of the government, the police had removed the sections of rape and Pocso Act due to which the accused had been released. Instead of the accused, the girl's father has been sent to jail for which AAP would stage a protest at every level for justice, he said.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Tata Trusts' new film reframes periods as a sign of health, not fertility
HighlightsTata Trusts has launched a campaign to change the perception of menstruation in India, emphasizing it as a normal biological function and a marker of health rather than a source of shame and stigma. The campaign, which is supported by ethnographic research and aims to engage families, includes films that depict positive conversations about menstruation, encouraging open discussions and education around the topic. Divyang Waghela, head of water, sanitation and hygiene at Tata Trusts, stated that the initiative aims to tackle deeply entrenched stigmas and empower girls and women to view menstruation as a normal part of health, fostering a cultural shift in understanding. Tata Trusts has unveiled a new campaign to reframe how India understands menstruation. Every month, roughly 355 million people in India menstruate. Yet, the subject remains shrouded in silence and shame and is linked to impurity, drawing societal stigma and burdened by age-old beliefs that link periods to fertility and marriage. In fact, 71 per cent of Indian girls are unaware of menstruation until they experience their first period. For generations, this silence has shaped how menstruation is understood, reducing it to a marker of sexual maturity or the end of childhood, rather than recognising it as a normal biological function. This campaign flips that narrative, inviting families to recognise menstruation for what it truly is: an indicator of health. Rooted in deep ethnographic research conducted across rural regions in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, this campaign is anchored in a combination of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) across seven states, with a series of cause-driven campaign films and development interventions on-ground that shift the ways in which communities understand, feel and talk about menstruation. Given the universality of the insight, the campaign also has a strong digital presence. The research explored women's lived realities of restrictions in matters of personal hygiene and healthy menstrual practices. It also uncovered social norms surrounding menstruation, with mothers avoiding the conversation, fearing that their daughters will be seen as 'ready for marriage' – a worry also echoed by Anganwadi Workers. Men shared limited menstrual awareness, often seeing it through the lens of household disruptions – like how it would affect women's cooking. However, they did show support when prompted, including getting their wives pads and taking them to the doctor when needed. Shaped by a talented team of behavioural researchers and grassroots and creative partners, this campaign seeks to empower girls to remain children even after their first period, and women to feel confident and well-informed, with nothing left to fear or hide about this natural monthly process. Divyang Waghela, head – water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Tata Trusts, commented, 'Built on the Trusts' rich work in menstrual health and hygiene, and considering how deeply entrenched stigmas remain, we strive to tackle barriers around infrastructure, belief systems, and environments perpetuating them. Through this, girls can view periods as a normal part of health, not something to be hidden away.' These insights laid the foundation for Tata Trusts' campaign that presents a disruptive, perspective-shifting goal: for periods to be seen as a marker of health and not just sexual maturity. At the heart of the campaign, running across the series of films as a common thread, is a catchy jingle, 'Maheena Aa gaya' (In this case, Maheena – month – refers to Periods, translating to, 'I've got my periods'). It acts as a cultural bridge, bringing to life everyday scenarios where menstrual symptoms, whether cramps, fatigue, or mood changes, are acknowledged openly by both men and women only as a lakshan (symbol) of health and nothing more. By making these conversations feel comfortable, respectful, and even light-hearted, the campaign aims to de-stigmatize menstruation and create space for empathetic dialogue within families. Deepshikha Surendran, head of brand and marketing communications, Tata Trusts, said, "'Maheena aa gaya' is more than just flipping a calendar page – it's a symbolic call to action, urging families to rethink what a period means, which we hope will nudge a generational, cultural shift in how menstruation is supported.' The hero film is supported by films specific to key segments of audiences that shape everyday beliefs around menstruation. In one, a mother lovingly guides her daughter through her first period, explaining that it's simply biology, not a sign of readiness for marriage and that there is nothing to fear or be ashamed of. Another depicts a husband ensuring his wife's needs during menstruation are met without waiting for her to ask because periods are not just her problem. In another film, a mother-in-law gently supports her daughter-in-law, encouraging her to rest and eat iron-rich food while reminding her, "Yeh siraf sehat ka ek lakshan hai' (this is only about health). These stories, told with warmth and emotional honesty, in real settings, replace fear with familiarity and shame with science. To ensure that the message percolates into conversations at a societal level, another film targeting Asha didis and other health workers, who are the bridge between the community and healthcare system, has been developed. "We're not asking people to radically shift their thinking – simply, to understand that a period is just a 'lakshan' — a symptom, like hair loss. Capturing this, we created a simple, light film that we shot in people's aangans and homes, with a powerful, memorable song with a hook rooted in Indian pop culture, offering an important reminder: 'Maheene ko sirf sehat se jodo' (link that time of the month – menstruation – to only health),' added Keigan Pinto, the creative director. Watch the video here:
