Discuss the significance of community ownership models such as 'Hamari Anganwadi Hamari Jimmedari' in strengthening last-mile delivery of nutrition services.

India's nutrition challenge is one of delivery, not design: NFHS-5 (2019–21) shows stunting still at 35.5% among under-fives despite decades of schemes [5]. The 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah (September 2026), themed "Hamari Anganwadi Hamari Jimmedari," responds by placing the Anganwadi Centre at the heart of community-led action, reframing nutrition as a shared civic responsibility [1].

Why community ownership matters for last-mile delivery

• Bridges the final gap: the last mile is a household-level behaviour problem — feeding practices, dietary diversity, protein adequacy. Poshan Maah 2026's push for fresh hot cooked meals and balanced diets works only if families act, not merely if supplies arrive [1].
• Converts a scheme into a Jan Andolan: a mass-mobilisation frame widens reach beyond the frontline workforce to panchayats, SHGs, schools and men's participation, multiplying outreach at negligible cost [4].
• Builds social accountability: community stake in "our Anganwadi" creates local pressure for regular functioning, attendance and quality — complementing top-down inspection.
• Strengthens institutional anchoring: Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, which subsumes Anganwadi Services, POSHAN Abhiyaan and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls, upgrades AWCs into credible community hubs worth owning [2].
• Pairs with digital governance: the Poshan Tracker, which digitised Anganwadi registers and enables near real-time monitoring of attendance and growth, supplies the data that community scrutiny needs [3].

Caveats

• Ownership cannot substitute for state capacity — worker vacancies, honorarium issues and infrastructure gaps remain the binding constraint.
• Campaign-mode mobilisation risks episodic enthusiasm unless sustained year-round through Poshan Pakhwada and panchayat institutions [2].

Community ownership is therefore best seen as a force multiplier: it converts entitlements into uptake where administration alone cannot reach. Institutionalising it through Gram Panchayat nutrition committees and transparent sharing of Poshan Tracker data with communities would make participation continuous rather than seasonal — an essential step toward the stated goal of a "Suposhit Bharat by 2047" [4] and the SDG-2 pledge to end all forms of malnutrition.