The Kerala centre of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) won the Chief Minister’s Award for Innovation in Public Policy for the social audits that it conducted in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in the Thirunelli, Kalliyoor, Balaramapuram and Pallichal panchayats.
The social audits were aimed at creating an awareness among the beneficiaries on the services which are rightfully owed to them and on the quality of the same.
“Ninety percent of the brain growth in children happens between the age of 0 and 5. The anganwadis are supposed to ensure that they get all the nutrients and they are given proper intellectual stimulation during this time. However, we found that the anganwadi workers were not equipped to deliver all this. So, we conducted intensive training programmes, which have started yielding results,” says Abey George of TISS, who led the social audit team. The team also worked on a shift from the present unscientific way of imparting lessons into a more non-formal style, based on fun activities, toy-making and story-telling.
The work is being seen as a breakthrough in procedural interventions. The Social Justice department is currently working on expanding the social audits to all angwanwadis across the State.
