MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI KRISHNA TIRATH)
(a) to (f): The objective of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is to improve the
nutritional and health status of children below six years of age and pregnant women and lactating mothers.
To achieve these objectives, a package of six integrated service viz., supplementary nutrition, pre-school
non-formal school education, nutrition and health education, immunization, health check up and referral
services is provided. Three of the six services, viz. immunization, health check up and referral services
are provided by Public Health Systems. Inter-sectoral convergence with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
therefore, is in-built and integral to the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the Reproductive and Child Health Programme Phase II, comprehensively
integrate interventions that improve child health and address factors contributing to morbidity and mortality.
Some of these include Infant and Young Child Feeding, Immunization against six vaccine preventable diseases,
vitamin A supplementation and iron and folic supplementation, setting up of Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres
to address severe and acute malnutrition etc. These programmes under NRHM are implemented in convergence with
the ICDS.
As per the information available as on 30.9.2010, Government of India has sanctioned 13.67 lakh AWCs,
of which 11.95 lakh are already operational. A total of 11.18 lakh Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and 10.85 lakh
Anganwadi Helpers(AWHs) are in position.
Malnutrition is multi dimensional and inter-generational in nature, the determinants of which include
household food insecurity, illiteracy and lack of awareness especially in women, access to health services,
availability of safe drinking water, sanitation and proper environmental conditions and adequate purchasing
power etc.
The Government is seized of the problem and a number of schemes/programmes are being implemented through
various Ministries/Departments which have direct or indirect bearing on nutritional status of children. Some of
these include the following:
# ICDS Scheme (Ministry of Women and Child Development): Supplementary Nutrition is one of the six services
provided by the ICDS Scheme, which seeks to bridge the gap between the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and
Average Daily Intake.
# National Rural Health Mission including Reproductive & Child Health Programme (Ministry of Health &
Family Welfare)
# Targeted Public Distribution System, Antodaya Anna Yojana (Ministry of Food, Consumer Affairs & Public
Distribution)
# Total Sanitation Campaign (Ministry of Rural Devlopment)
# Mid Day Meal in Schools (Department of School Education and Literacy)
# Mahatma Gandhi National rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), National Rural Livelihood Mission(Ministry of Labour).
In ICDS, through various review meetings, sample testing and field visits to the States/UTs, certain
deficiencies regarding quality of Supplementary Nutrition have come to the notice of Government. These
deficiencies : include supply of fewer calories and protein against those prescribed, disruptions in supply
of supplementary nutrition, insufficient quantity, reduced ingredients etc., The respective State/UT is
conveyed the deficiency for immediate remedial action.
