Rajasthan launches ‘Prerna 2.0’ month-long campaign to boost maternal and child nutrition

What is Prerna 2.0 and when does it run?

A month-long campaign titled Prerna 2.0 has been launched by the Directorate of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in Jaipur, running from 19 January to 19 February 2026, to improve maternal and child nutrition and related health outcomes across Rajasthan. The programme name expands to Pregnancy Registration and Early Childhood Education and Nutrition Awareness.

The campaign is designed to strengthen coverage and quality of services delivered through the Anganwadi network—often the first point of contact for nutrition, early childhood care and maternal support. It also aims to identify beneficiaries who are currently not receiving services and connect them to relevant schemes and entitlements.

Who the campaign targets

Prerna 2.0 is aimed at key vulnerable groups: pregnant women (especially in the first trimester), lactating mothers, children up to six years of age, and adolescent girls. The public health rationale is straightforward—early pregnancy support and early-childhood nutrition interventions are among the most cost-effective ways to reduce long-term health and development risks.

How it plans to work on the ground

The initiative focuses on improving registration and service linkage, strengthening early childhood care and education for children aged 3–6, and tightening monitoring through surveys and digital data entry on the nutrition tracker platform. Anganwadi workers are expected to capture growth metrics accurately, monitor child development indicators, and ensure beneficiaries are connected to relevant health and welfare schemes.

The campaign theme emphasises strengthening Anganwadi centres and improving early childhood outcomes. By combining outreach, registration drives and closer tracking, the state hopes to reduce missed coverage—especially among families that may not be regularly visiting centres or are not fully enrolled in welfare schemes.

What to watch for by mid-February

• Updated beneficiary registration numbers and how many previously unserved households were linked to services.
• Improvement in attendance and participation in early childhood education sessions at Anganwadi centres.
• Quality of growth monitoring and whether follow-ups/referrals increase for at-risk children and mothers.

With the campaign running until 19 February 2026, outcomes will likely be judged by how effectively it increases coverage, improves data quality and translates monitoring into timely nutritional support and referrals.