Sen's trust examines anganwadis

REALITY CHECK: The Pratichi Trust is studying facilities under the Centre's Integrated Child Development Services.

Pratichi (India) Trust, set up by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, is bringing under the microscope the state of children under six through a study of the anganwadis in six districts of West Bengal.

The trust, run with funds from Sen's Nobel Prize money and central grants (undisclosed), has been conducting studies on health and education since 1998 and is all set to come out with its first report on anganwadis and the facilities available under the centrally-sponsored Integrated Child Development Services.

The ICDS is the only government-run service to provide nutrition and immunisation for children below six years. A report on children below the age of six done by volunteers across many states under the guidance of economist Jean Dreze was released by Sen last year. The report had found that the anganwadis run under the ICDS were in a very bad condition in many states.

The report had come last year just before the Supreme Court ruling that asked the central government to have an anganwadi under the ICDS in every human habitation.

The study of anganwadis is being done in six selected districts of Jalpaiguri, Dinajpur (South), Murshidabad, Bardhaman, Bankura and 24 Parganas (South), which represent the range of geographical variation in the state.

"As the ICDS holds the key to ensuring good health for mothers and children up to the age of six, we felt evaluating its status and role was important. The findings will be on the basis of a survey of close to 300 households and should be ready in another eight months," Kumar Rana, senior research associate, Pratichi Research Team, said.

The preliminary field visits have been completed in four out of six districts chosen for the ICDS study "" Bardhaman, Bankura, Jalpaiguri and 24 Parganas (South).

The Pratichi team's method of investigation is through studying a small number of institutions, going beyond readily provided data, and include both directly observed ground realities and findings based on extensive interviews and conversations.

The trust had recently released its findings on primary education, which said mid-day meals had improved attendance of children in schools from 50 per cent in the past to 75 cent now.

Set up in 1998, the research team has conducted studies in the field of primary education in six districts of West Bengal, a comparative health study involving Dumka (Jharkhand) and Birbhum (West Bengal), a comparative study of private and government schools in Birbhum (West Bengal), various types of government primary schools in Kolkata, and self-help groups in Birbhum and Cooch Behar.

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