An Ethnographic Study of the Mathru Poorna Yojana (One Full Meal) Pilot Project for Pregnant and Lactating Mothers in Two Blocks of Two Districts in Karnataka

The present study was undertaken to review the pilot implementation of the programme and its uptake by beneficiaries, in order to provide data to the DWCD, before scaling up the programme to all districts of the state by October 2017. An ethnographic study spanning the first three months of programme implementation was undertaken in two blocks - H.D.Kote and Jamkhandi - to understand the programme in terms of its planning and administrative components, to assess the nutritive impact of the programme and to identify relevant socio-cultural barriers to its implementation. The study showed that the programme has had mixed results, with better uptake in Jamkhandi, compared to H.D. Kote, though these observed trends need to be considered tentative given that the scheme has barely begun. It was also observed that the proportion of lactating women attending the programme was far smaller compared to the number of pregnant women.