Strengthening and
Restructuring of Integrated Child Development Services Scheme
Child development refers to the changes that occur as
a child grows and develops in relation to being physically healthy, mentally
alert, emotionally sound, socially competent and ready to learn. The first five years of a child's life
are fundamentally important.
The Government introduced the Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS) Scheme in 1975 for holistic development of the
child. To ensure that the services are provided by someone who is familiar with
the village and the community, the engagement of the Anganwadi Worker and
Helper from the same village has been prescribed. The Scheme provides
package of six services i.e. SNP, pre-school education, health and nutrition
education, immunization, health check up and referral services to the
beneficiaries i.e. children under six years age, pregnant and lactating
mothers. The last three
services are provided in convergence with the Health system. The concept of providing a package of
services is based primarily on the consideration that the overall impact will
be much larger if the different services are delivered in an integrated manner
as the efficacy of a particular service depends upon the support it receives
from related services.
The scheme was started in 1975 in 33 blocks (Projects)
and 4891 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). The
universalisation of the scheme took place gradually from 2005-06. In 2008-09 the scheme was
universalized by cumulatively approving 7076 projects and 14 lakh AWCs. Today, ICDS is the world’s biggest and
unique child development programme with more than 7005 projects and about 13.20
lakh AWCs in operation throughout the country. There are about 10 crore beneficiaries
availing the services from the scheme. The
idea behind the expansion and universalisation is to ensure that each and every
village/habitation as per the population norm in the country is covered by the
scheme. For this, a
provision has been made for opening of an AWC in an area having a population of
minimum 400 which is further relaxed for difficulty/hilly/tribal areas.
ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme and one of the
flagship programmes of the Government which is implemented through the
concerned States/UTs with the funding by the Government in the ratio of 50:50
for supplementary nutrition (90:10 in NER) and 90:10 for other operational
components between the Centre and the States.
The expansion of the scheme did not commensurate with
the resources both human and financial as a result of which number of
gaps/shortcomings crept in which were essential to be rectified.
Considering the above, the Government realized that
there was a need to address these gaps/shortcomings through restructuring and
strengthening of the scheme. The
issue was given highest priority by the Government at the level of Prime
Minister’s Council on India
Features of Restructuring
There has been no provision in the scheme for
construction of buildings for AWCs, except for the NER. For the first time,
construction of AWC buildings has been introduced. To begin with, a provision
for construction of 2 lakh AWCs @ Rs. 4.5 lakh per unit has been provided under
the scheme during the 12th plan period. Besides
above, the rentals for hiring buildings for AWCs have been considerably revised
and a provision has also been for maintenance/upgradation of the AWCs. Construction of building for AWC has
been included as a permissible activity under the MNREGA. Convergence with other programmes
exists.
Due to general increase in the prices due to
inflation, the Government has revised the financial norms of various components
of the scheme including supplementary nutrition, medicine kits, pre-school
education kits, uniform for AWW/AWH, etc,.
For quite some time, there has been a consistent
demand for converting the AWCs into Creche for the benefit of working mothers
in the urban and the rural areas. Restructuring
and strengthening has provided for piloting the above scheme and in the
beginning 70,000 AWCs are proposed to be converted into AWC-cum-Creche during
the XIIth Plan period. However,
this will be based on the demand from the States/UTs.
The well being and development of malnourished
children in the country has been the highest priority of the government. Under the restructured scheme, a
number of initiatives have been taken to improve their well being i.e. revision
of cost norms for SNP, focused attention on such children in the 200-high
burden districts where a provision for an additional AWW-cum-Counsellor has
been made, organizing Sneha
Shivirs, focused attention in the monthly VHND meetings, etc. This is coupled with the awareness
i.e. IEC campaign launched by the Government through the electronic and print
media and the Multi-sectoral programme in 200 high burden districts. The government has resolved to
eradicate the menace of malnutrition from this country by ensuring convergence
with various line Ministries.
With
the above initiatives, the aim is to
prevent and reduce young child under-nutrition (% underweight children 0-3
years) by 10 percentage points, enhance early development and learning outcomes
in all children 0-6 years of age, improve care and nutrition of girls and women
and reduce anaemia prevalence in young children, girls and women by one fifth
by the end of 12th Five
Year Plan.
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