Dr Charulatha Banerjee, ENN’s Asia Regional Knowledge Management Specialist caught up with Ms Mridula Sinha Director General of the Jharkhand State Nutrition Mission earlier this month to understand the evolution of the Nutrition Mission in the state, work done so far and plans for the future.

Ms Sinha has been working in child health and nutrition in Jharkhand for many years. In this interview she talks about the formation of the State Nutrition Mission, the complexities of nutrition governance in India and the architecture of the Mission as an independent body with the power to convene related departments. She presents the challenges faced by Jharkhand State, which is less than 2 decades old, and also the huge potential given the strong political will to render the State malnutrition free by 2030. She mentions the role of the private sector in nutrition in the State as well as the work of UNICEF and other partners to support the State Nutrition Mission’s work. 

(00:34) Can you tell us about the recently conceived Nutrition Mission in Jharkhand?
(03:06) What were the key objectives you set out when launching the Nutrition Mission?
(04:08) Can you tell us about the structure of the Mission, and how it interacts with other departments and stakeholders?
(07:21) What challenges do you think the Mission might face as you move forward?
(11:20) Can you tell us more about the nutrition vulnerabilities faced by people in Jharkhand?
(12:05) How have you interacted with Nutrition Missions in other states of India?
(13:40)  Can you tell us about nutrition governance in India and how the central government works with the states?
(15:02) How is funding arranged between the central and state governments?
(16:08)  How has the mission been interacting with private companies?

(17:36)  Can you tell us about the motivation behind Jharkhand joining the SUN movement?