Child Development and ICDS
Unit 3-3.2
Notes by Sis Patricia Michelle Mathias
The UNICEF website states that one in four new-borns in India is underweight and only about one in three is breastfed exclusively for the first six months. The website also says that practically one in two children under five years of age suffer from moderate or severe malnutrition, while on the other hand, one in three children does not get a full course of DPT Immunization (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus immunization). One among five kids is protected against vitamin A deficiency and only one in three has the opportunity to be in an early learning programme.” [1]
Some of the primary reasons for this difficult situation arises because of the fact that in rural areas, many people lead hard lives, especially women. The dowry system in India, and the dominating patriarchal system that exists almost all over India except in case of two or three communities leads to gender discrimination and the preference of a male child as compared to a female. In many states of India, there is a startling difference between the number of male and female kids. The poor furthermore, have less access to high- nutrition meals, which further points out to the fact that a girl child in such a family will have lesser care. Women’s lives being hard, the newborns in such cases often have deficiency of vitamins. They are also victims of mal-nutrition and other ailments.
Forty-four per cent of India’s people live on less than $1 a day. Less than 30 per cent have access to adequate sanitation facilities. Skilled attendants handle fewer than half of all deliveries, a major factor in the country’s high maternal mortality ratio of 540 deaths per 100,000 live births.[2]
In such circumstances, the ‘Integrated Child Development Scheme’ (ICDS) was the childhood development programme launched by the government of India, under the leadership of Morarji Desai, the then Prime Minister, in 1975. This programme has grown over the years to include programmes that address malnutrition, primary healthcare, preschool education, immunization, health check-up, referral services to children under 6 years of age, Mid-day Meal scheme and also development needs of young children, pregnant and nursing mothers with over 40,000 centres all across India.
“UNICEF helped launch the ICDS programme and continues to provide financial and technical assistance along with the World Bank. The programme today covers over 4.8 million expectant and nursing mothers and over 23 million children under the age of six. Of these children, more than half participate in early learning activities.”[3]
Currently, in India, the ICDS, Centrally Sponsored Scheme, is led by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Government of India (GoI). The Anganwadi Services (under Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the Government of India releases grants-in-aid to the States.
ICDS consists of services catering to the Early Childhood Care Education & Development (ECCED), Care & Nutrition Counselling, Health Services and Community Mobilisation Awareness, Advocacy &Information, Education and Communication[4]
“The objectives of the scheme are:
(i) To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group of 0-6 years.
(ii) To lay the foundations for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.
(iii) To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school drop-out.
(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.”[5] (Kapil, 2002)
The programme has indeed benefitted the poor by providing ration to many needy kids and giving women the role of ‘anganwadi workers’ in Anganwadis which are basically rural child care centres established across India.
There are several positive reports of this initiative and the reaching out of the Government under this initiative. However, given the large population, it is still not a successful as it should have been. India still has a long way to go. Kapil U (2002) points out that the ICDS Scheme lacks effective co-ordination between Health and ICDS functionaries. Furthermore, there is poor Community participation. He points out that the Anganwadi workers (those working at grassroot levels in this programme) need better training and improvement. He also mentions that malnourished children who cannot come to Anganwadis where food is provided continue to languish.[6]
For further details, one can log into the Government website for details, statistics and numbers.
[1] India - Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/files/india_icds.pdf
[2] India - Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/files/india_icds.pdf
[3] India - Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/files/india_icds.pdf
[4] https://darpg.gov.in/sites/default/files/ICDS.pdf
[5] Kapil, U. (2002). Integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme : A program for holistic development of children in India. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 69(7), 597–601. doi:10.1007/bf02722688
[6] Kapil, U. (2002). Integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme : A program for holistic development of children in India. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 69(7), 597–601. doi:10.1007/bf02722688
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