ICDS reaches more than 9.27 cr children and pregnant and nursing mothers

A total of 9,27,655,22 beneficiaries have benefitted through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, as on January, 2013. Of these, 7,46,809,32 are children in the age group of 0-6 years and 1,80,845,90 are pregnant and lactating mothers.

For Supplementary Nutrition component of ICDS Scheme, the financial norms for beneficiaries are as below:

S.No.	Category	Prevailing Rates for SNP
1.	Children ( 6 – 72 months)	Rs. 4.00
2.	Severely malnourished children ( 6 – 72 months)	Rs. 6.00
3.	Pregnant women and Nursing mothers	Rs. 5.00

The above rates have further been revised under Restructured and Strengthened ICDS to Rs. 6.00, Rs. 9.00, and Rs. 7.00 for the above categories of beneficiaries respectively. The revised rates would follow in three phases. The Restructured and Strengthened ICDS will be rolled out in three years as below:

(a)                In 200 high burden districts in the first year (2012-13);

(b)               In additional 200 districts in second year (2013-14) (i.e. w.e.f. 1.4.2013)  including all districts from special category States and NER;

(c)                In remaining districts in third year (2014-15) (i.e. w.e.f. 1.4.2014).

Under Scheme for Welfare of Working Children in need of Care and Protection, 116 projects are being supported by this Ministry at present. Each project sanctioned under the scheme caters 100 beneficiaries and therefore, the total number of beneficiaries being catered under the scheme comes to 11,600. As per schematic norms, each child gets Rs. 10,368 to Rs. 10,668 per annum (depending on class of the city of the project location) which is borne by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the implementing agency in the ratio of 90 : 10 respectively.

This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development, in a written reply to a starred question in the Lok Sabha.