Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, now renamed as Anganwadi Services, was launched in 1975 with the objectives to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years, to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child, to reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout, to achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation among the various departments to promote child development; and to enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.
Under the scheme six services namely Supplementary Nutrition, Health & Nutrition Education, Pre-school Education, Immunization, Referral Services and Health Check-up are provided at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). The beneficiaries of the scheme are children 0-6 years old and Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers. It is Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by the States/UTs.
The scheme is universal covering all the districts of the country. There are total 14 lakh AWCs sanctioned across the country out of which 13.63 lakh AWCs are operational as on 01.06.2018. The level of child malnutrition has improved as per the data collected by NFHS-4 as compared to NFHS-3 status.
The scheme is implemented by the States/UTs. The deficiencies as and when reported are taken care of. Cost sharing ratio for implementation of the scheme for North-eastern and Himalayan States has been fixed at 90:10 as against 60:40 for other States/UTs (with legislature). Monitoring of the scheme is done through 5-tier monitoring committees at the National, State, District, Block and Anganwadi level. Besides, supervisory visits are made by the State/UT and senior officers of this Ministry. As and when any deficiency is found, it is brought to the notice of States/UTs for taking corrective measures.
