The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme was launched in 1975 with the following objectives:
(i) To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years;
(ii) To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child;
(iii) To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout;
(iv) To achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development; and
(v) 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.
The package of following six services are provided under the ICDS scheme:-
i) Supplementary nutrition,
ii) Pre-school non-formal education,
iii) Nutrition & health education,
iv) Immunization,
v) Health check-up and
vi) Referral services
Three of the six services, i.e. immunization, health check-up and referral services, are related to health and are provided through National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) & Public Health Infrastructure.
The Anganwadi Services Scheme was universalized during 2008-09 and all the 7076 projects and 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres have been allocated to the States/UTs. Out of these 7075 Projects and 13,59,298 AWCs are operational.
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