The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme is a flagship program of the Indian government, launched on October 2, 1975, aimed at promoting the growth and development of children aged 0-6 years and supporting pregnant and lactating mothers through nutrition, education, and health services. Covering over 70 million beneficiaries, the program provides essential services such as supplementary nutrition, immunization, and non-formal preschool education via Anganwadi centers, particularly targeting rural areas and urban slums. Despite its extensive reach, challenges remain regarding service quality, infrastructure, and coverage for children under three years old.

1. “The foremost symbol of India’s commitment to her children”

2. INTEGRATED CHILD
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
(ICDS) SCHEME
DRISHTI
International Institute for Population Sciences

3. INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVE
BENEFICIARIES
SERVICES
COMPONENTS
IMPLEMENTATION
LOG FRAME INDICATOR
SWAT ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION
CONTENT

4. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is one of the
flagship programmes of the Government of India and represents one of the
world’s largest and unique programmes for early childhood care and
development.
It was lunched on 2nd October 1975.
 It is the foremost symbol of country’s commitment to its children and nursing
mothers, as a response to the challenge of providing pre-school non-formal
education on one hand and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity,
reduced learning capacity and mortality on the other.
The beneficiaries under the Scheme are children in the age group of 0-6 years,
pregnant women and lactating mothers.
 The main thrust of the scheme is on the villages where over 75 percent of the
population lives. Urban slums are also a priority area of the programme.
During the 2018–19 fiscal year, the Indian central government allocated ₹16,335
crores to the programme.
INTRODUCTION

5. OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the scheme are:
I) Improvement in the health and nutritional status of children 0–6 years and pregnant
and lactating mothers.
ii) Reduction in the incidence of their mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school drop
out.
iii) Provision of a firm foundation for proper psychological, physical and social
development of the child.
iv) 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.
v) Effective co-ordination of the policy and implementation among various departments
and programmes aimed to promote child development.

6. BENEFICIARIES
The beneficiaries are:
I) Children 0–6 years of age
ii) Pregnant and lactating mothers
iii) Women 15–44 year of age
iv) Since 1991 adolescent girls up to the age of 18 years for non formal
education and training on health and nutrition.

8. SERVICES
The programme provides a package of services facilities like:
I) Complementary nutrition
ii) Vitamin A
iii) Iron and folic acid tablets
iv) Immunization
v) Health check up
vi) Treatment of minor ailments
vii) Referral services
viii) Non-formal education on health and nutrition to women
ix) Preschool education to children 3–6 year old and
x) Convergence of other supportive services like water, sanitation etc.

10. The Non-formal Pre-school Education (PSE) component of the ICDS may well be
considered the backbone of the ICDS program
Anganwadi Centre (AWC) is the main platform for delivering of these services
PSE, as envisaged in the ICDS, focuses on total development of the child, in the age
up to six years, mainly from the underprivileged groups
. The program is for the three-to six years old children in the anganwadi is directed
towards providing and ensuring a natural, joyful and stimulating environment, with
emphasis on necessary inputs for optimal growth and development.

11.  For nutritional purposes ICDS provides 500 kilocalories (with 12-15 gm grams of protein) every
day to every child below 6 years of age. For adolescent girls it is up to 500 kilo calories with up to
25 grams of protein everyday.
 The services of Immunization, Health Check-up and Referral Services delivered through Public
Health Infrastructure under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. UNICEF has provided
essential supplies for the ICDS scheme since 1975.World Bank has also assisted with the financial
and technical support for the programme. The cost of ICDS programme averages $10–$22 per child
a year. The scheme is Centrally sponsored with the state governments contributing up
to ₹1.00 (1.4¢ US) per day per child.
 Furthermore, in 2008, the GOI adopted the [World Health Organization]standards for measuring and
monitoring the child growth and development, both for the ICDS and the National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM).These standards were developed by WHO through an intensive study of six
developing countries since 1997.They are known as New WHO Child Growth Standard and measure
of physical growth, nutritional status and motor development of children from birth to 5 years age.

13. AWC infrastructure (anganwadi centres)
400 – 800 = 1 AWC
800 -- 1600 = 2 AWC
1600 -- 2400 = 3 AWC
For tribal / riverine / hilly/ desserted areas = 300-800 = 1 AWC
Funds
(50:50 for states) (90:10 for northeast states) centre and state
partnership
Human resources
• Anganwadi workers
• Anganwadi helpers (SAHAYIKA)
• Supervisors
• Child development project officers (CDPOs)
• District program officer (DPO)

14. Conducting survey
Organising delivery of food/ration
Immunization
Immunisation of pregnant woman and infants protects them from six
diseases – poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, tuberculosis
and measles. These are the preventable causes of child mortality,
disability and morbidity. Immunisation off pregnant women against
tetanus also reduces maternal and neonatal mortality
Health check up
This includes health care of the children below 6years. Antenatal care
of expectant mother and post natal care of nursing mother. Regular
health checkups provided includes recording of weight,
immunization, management of malnutrition, treatment of diarrhea,
deworming and distribution of medicine.

16. Effective coverage
It covers approx 7.6 million pregnant and lactating women and
nearly 36 million children below 6years of age.
Quality of delivery of services
Though it has huge coverage but it still lacks in infrastructure and
basic amenities.
The practice of breast feeding within an hour of birth is found to
be more widespread among ICDS beneficiaries
Reduction in early discontinuation among beneficiaries.

17. Awareness among the people has increased
Behavioural change in the people
i) hygiene
ii) dietary habits
Health education seeking behaviour has changed as people are more
eager to know about the benefits associated with the program and are
willing to be a part of it
Decline in the proportion of malnourished children(under 3 year)

18. 72% reduction in mortality (maternal and infant)
among the beneficiaries.
Increased weight for age in children
Increased women empowerment

19. • MENTERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION
• MORTALITY REDUCTION
• MALNUTRITION

20. EVALUATION OF ICDS
• Conducted by NCAER( National Council For
Applied Economic Research).
• High performing states are- Andhra Pradesh,
Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil nadu, Uttarakhand
and West Bengal.
• Poor performing states are- Bihar, Haryana,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

21. EVALUATION OF ICDS
• 49% of eligible group is registered for ICDS
benefits.
• About 64% of children receive Supplementary nutrition out of total
children registered by AWW.
• Around 78% of pregnant and lactating women
and 42% of adolescent girls are recorded in
delivery register.
• Overall 42.5% of AWWs have their own building,
17.4% were in rented building, 17.3% were in
primary school building and 22.9% running in
Panchayat Bhawan, AWW own house.

22. EVALUATION OF ICDS
• 87% of AWW have drinking water supply, 69%
functional weighing scale.
• About 94% of AWW adequately trained for
preschool education.
• breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth
Achievement: 25%
• Exclusive breastfeeding (6 months)
Achievement: 46%

23. • Around 59 per cent AWCs have no toilet facility and in 17 per cent
AWCs this facility was found to be unsatisfactory.
• Around 75% of AWCs have pucca buildings.
• 44 per cent AWCs covered under the study were found to be lacking
Pre school education kits.
• 36.5 per cent mothers did not report weighing of new born children
• 29 per cent children were born with a low weight which was below
normal.
• 37 per cent AWWs reported non-availability of materials/aids for
Nutrition and Health Education (NHED).

25. Vast coverage of beneficiaries
 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in India is the world’s largest integrated early childhood
program, with over 40,000 centers nationwide.
• It has 5614 (central 5103, state 511) projects covering over 5300 community development blocks and 300
urban slums; over 60 million children below the age of 6 years and over 10 million women between 16 and 44
years of age and 2 million lactating mothers
Supplementary
 The program offers health, nutrition anemia and hygiene education to mothers, non-formal preschool
education to children aged three to six, supplementary feeding for all children and pregnant and nursing
mothers. The cost of the ICDS programme averages $10-$22 per child a year.
Growth monitoring
Prophylaxis against vitamin A deficiency
Promote Excluding breast feeding
Nutrition and Health education among women

26. The focus and coverage of children in 0-3 years of age is inadequate.
Pregnant & Lactating not covered
 Irregular supply of Supplementary Food due to administrative reasons.
Quality of Nutrition supplement?
The quality of training of Anganwadi workers needs improvement.
Home visits by AWWs are infrequent. Malnourished children who cannot come to
Anganwadis due to different reasons remain largely uncovered.
AWW has not been accorded the dignity and prestige as a voluntary worker. She is not
being treated as an honorary worker.
Failure to promote effective community leadership and participation.
Children come only for food

27. A 50% increase in coverage of 0-3 years children
The total population under ICDS coverage is 70 million, which is approximately 7 percent
of the total population of one billion.
 The main thrust of the scheme is on the villages where over 75 percent of the population
lives. Urban slums are also a priority area of the programme.
Proper breastfeeding and complementary feeding

28. Lobbying of contractors
The available tools for weight taking and length/height recording require proper
standardization and knowledge.
AWW, ANM and other functionaries must receive more training and education in this
respect in case this activity is to be continued.
Linear growth measurement is as important as body weight in view of the recent
observation that in some children, linear growth falters before they start losing weight.
Does not reach out to children upto two years of age
Over emphasis on enhancing food security rather than ensuring positive nutrition outcomes
for children.

29. ICDS is the world‘s largest community based outreach program which offers a package of
health, nutrition and education services to the children below six years and pregnant and
nursing mothers.
Anganwadi centres play an important role in the development of a child and are also a
precursor to formal education.
The centres also monitor the nutrition levels of the children. Their mothers are taught the
importance of feeding children nutritious food. The children and their mothers are also
given nutrition supplements like vitamins, iron and folic acid.
These services have to be properly monitored from time to time and accordingly
improvements are to be made.
The reach of the Anganwadis should not limited and efforts are to be taken to universalize
the program so that more children come into its fold.

30. http://vikaspedia.in/social-welfare/women-and-child-development/child-development-
1/intregrated-child-development-scheme
https://icds-wcd.nic.in/icds.aspx
https://darpg.gov.in/sites/default/files/ICDS.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4925843/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Child_Development_Services