The ICDS is a government initiative in India, offering healthcare, nutrition, and education for children up to six years old and their mothers. The ICDS was introduced in 1975 with the purpose of improving the nutritional condition of children and reducing child health problems.
ICDS Scheme
- Launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 1975.
- Early childhood care and development programme.
Schemes Under ICDS
- Anganwadi Services Scheme
- Supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, and health check-ups.
- Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
- ₹ 5,000 in three installments through direct benefit transfer during pregnancy and for lactating women.
- National Creche Scheme
- Day-care facilities for children aged 6 months to 6 years of working women.
- Scheme for Adolescent Girls
- Improves nutrition and status and empowers young girls with skills on life skills education, home skill education, along with iron and folic acid supplementations, besides health checkups and referral services.
- Child Protection Scheme
- Improves child well-being through reduction in difficulties and vulnerabilities.
- POSHAN Abhiyaan
- Focuses to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia, and low birth weight.
ICDS Objectives
- Nutritional & Health Improvement
- Health improvement and nutrition and health of the children.
- Child Development
- Facilitates the right psychological, physical, and social development.
- Risk Reduction
- Decreases mortality, morbidity, malnutrition, and school dropout rates.
- Policy Coordination
- Promotes coordination between departments for child development.
- Adolescent Girls Empowerment
- Educates and empowers adolescent girls.
Other Comparable Government Initiatives
- National Health Mission (NHM)
- Improves health systems for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, adolescent health, and communicable/non-communicable diseases.
- Mid Day Meal Scheme
- Serves cooked, hot food to all school going children.
- National Nutrition Strategy
- Set out the strategic roadmap towards attaining reduction in all under-nutrition 2030.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Prelims
Q. Which of the following can be said to be essentially the parts of ‘Inclusive Governance’? (2012)
- Permitting the Non-Banking Financial Companies to do banking
- Establishing effective District Planning Committees in all the districts
- Increasing the government spending on public health
- Strengthening the Mid-day Meal Scheme
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Ans: (c)
Explanation:
- Governance is a process of decision making that engages more people and stakeholders. Inclusive governance, therefore, through the involvement of citizens, favors acceptance and makes implementing policies easier.
- By setting up a District Planning Committee, more people will participate in the developmental plan of their area. It will make the planning exercise bottom up in its approach and bring about inclusive governance. So, 2 is correct.
- With rising spending on public health, the human capital of the country will be increased, thereby leading to an inclusive development process. Therefore, 3 is correct.
- The strengthening of the Mid-day Meal Scheme will increase the enrolment ratio as well as the nutritional level of the children, which in turn will lead to overall development of the children. Hence, 4 is correct.
- Permitting NBFCs to do banking have no direct linkage with inclusive governance. Therefore, 1 is not correct.
Mains
Q. Hunger and Poverty are the biggest challenges for good governance in India still today. Evaluate how far successive governments have progressed in dealing with these humongous problems. Suggest measures for improvement. (2017)
