A STUDY ON AWARENESS OF GOVERNMENT NUTRITION PROGRAMMES AMONG RURAL WOMEN IN DEOGHAR DISTRICT, JHARKHAND

Purpose: The present study examines the level of awareness of rural women regarding Government Nutrition Programmes in Deoghar district, Jharkhand. The study aims to assess whether rural women possess adequate awareness about major Government Nutrition Programmes, including Anganwadi services, supplementary nutrition, Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, child growth monitoring, and POSHAN Abhiyaan. Methodology: The study is based on primary data collected from 230 rural women through a structured questionnaire. Ten awareness statements measured on a five-point Likert scale were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis (Cronbach's Alpha), and the One Sample t-test in SPSS. Findings: It has been found that the awareness level of rural women concerning Government Nutrition Programmes is below the neutral point. Awareness of Anganwadi was comparatively higher among respondents, but on the other hand, awareness of POSHAN Abhiyaan, IFA Supplementation and child growth monitoring was relatively lower. Most of the statements were found to be significantly different with the help of One Sample t-test. Originality: This paper serves as an analysis of awareness about the Government Nutrition Programs amongst the rural women in the district of Deoghar, Jharkhand, and also emphasizes the importance of increasing nutrition awareness programs at the community level.