(a) whether the Union Government have made any assessment of the ICDS scheme;
(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the shortcomings noticed; and
(c) the steps taken to implement the said scheme effectively?
(a) whether the Union Government have made any assessment of the ICDS scheme;
(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the shortcomings noticed; and
(c) the steps taken to implement the said scheme effectively?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT (DR. MURLI MANOHAR JOSHI)
(a) Yes, Sir.
(b) The National Council for Applied Economic Research
(NCAER) was entrusted to carry out a National Evaluation of
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme in about
sixty thousand Anganwadi Centres. The Report has been
received in 2001.
The Report demonstrates that ICDS Programme has made a
definite impact on Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Antenatal
Care. More than sixty seven percent of Anganwadi Centres
were providing regular supplementary nutrition and seventy
five percent of children had received immunization. The
Report has also indicated casual disruption in provision of
supplementary nutrition in Anganwadi Centres, weak
implementation of the Adolescent Girls’ Scheme and weak
monitoring.
(c) Some of the major initiatives taken by the Department
to increase the effectiveness of the programme include:
(i) The freeze on expansion imposed in 1997 has been lifted
in 2000. Sanction for 5171 ICDS blocks upto Ninth Five
Year Plan has now been granted.
(ii) The monitoring mechanism has been improved with
consolidated State reports providing more focused information.
(iii)The financial norms under the Scheme have been
revised upward to strengthen the scheme. The State
Governments have been impressed upon to provide adequate
budgetary provision for supplementary nutrition. The
nutrition component of Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana has
also been included to increase nutritional coverage of
supplementary feeding.
(iv) The procurement of medicine kits have been decentralized.
(v) Education kit has been introduced.
(vi) A decentralized training programme for ICDS functionaries named UDISHA has been launched.