Explaining the reduction in child undernutrition in the Indian state of Maharashtra between 2006 and 2012: An analysis of the policy processes

The Indian state of Maharashtra has been lauded as a ‘success story’ for its rapid and significant decline in amongst children. Between 2006 and 2012, childhood stunting fell from 39 to 24%. Whilst global policy and academic literature strongly emphasises the need to act on nutrition, there are still few studies outlining the policy processes which been part of successful state-led strategies – particularly a sub-national level. This study is intended to contribute to future policy via unpacking the story of policy and programme attention to nutrition. Stakeholder perceptions and opinions the wider policy, political and contextual reasons for Maharashtra’s decline in child undernutrition sought and used alongside documentary evidence to construct a chronology of key events. Key factors via this process include the way in which issue framing and evidence helped catalyse a response; the particular governance structures employed in response (the State’s ‘Nutrition ’) and the way in which leadership and a focus on system-wide capacity combined in an innovative to focus resources on pockets of deprivation in high-burden areas.