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’s Nutrition Challenges, NAC as well as by the Planning Commission. Thanks to the efforts made by these institutions and the efforts of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Government ultimately approved the Restructuring and Strengthening of ICDS with an outlay of Rs. 1,23,580 crore during the XIIth Plan in September, 2012. The roll out of strengthening and restructuring has already begun from this year in 200 high burden districts and this would be completed by 2014-15. The strengthening and restructuring of the scheme consist of programmatic, management and institutional reforms which includes repositioning the AWC as a vibrant ECD centre, construction of AWC buildings, improved infrastructure, strengthening package of services, improvement in nutrition programme, management of severe and moderate underweight, strengthening training and capacity, decentralized planning, strengthening governance and MIS, using ICT, adequate human resource, putting the scheme in a Mission Mode, introducing APIPs and MoUs, revision of financial norms, etc.
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.
-Inputs from the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
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