Within the food-based safety nets, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme seamlessly juxtaposes the ‘first 1000 days’ window of opportunity whilst aiming to address malnutrition among young children and pregnant/ lactating women through a host of services including provision of take-home rations (THR), nutrition health education, etc. Quality assured, safe and nutritious take-home rations delivered to the ICDS participants with appropriate messages on nutrition have the potential to prevent malnutrition in the communities. This publication was developed with the objective of sharing with States/UTs a set of innovative and good practices across the THR production and distribution value chain.
In 2019, the United Nations World Food Programme in India conducted a mapping of THR across India and is currently supporting the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Odisha on improving the composition and establishing decentralized production of fortified nutritious THR. This study builds on this body of work and ongoing partnerships on the ground.
