ICDS SURVEY IN JHARKHAND
CONTEXT
- In the first six months in Jharkhand, more than 55% of the surveyed 18, 288 beneficiaries of Supplementary Nutrition given to the most vulnerable under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)—did not receive it by the state even once.
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INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SCHEME
- The Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) Scheme providing for supplementary nutrition, immunization and pre-school education to the children is a popular flagship programme of the government.
- Launched in 1975, it is one of the world’s largest programmes providing for an integrated package of services for the holistic development of the child.
- ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by state governments and union territories. The scheme is universal covering all the districts of the country.
OBJECTIVES
- To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years;
- To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child;
- To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout;
- To achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development; and
- 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.
BENEFICIARIES
- Children in the age group of 0-6 years
- Pregnant women and
- Lactating mothers
SERVICES UNDER ICDS
- The ICDS Scheme offers a package of six services, viz
- Supplementary Nutrition
- Pre-school non-formal education
- Nutrition & health education
- Immunization
- Health check-up and
- Referral services
- The services are offered at Anganwadi Centres through Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHS) at grassroots level.
SUB-SCHEMES UNDER UMBRELLA ICDS
- Anganwadi Services – It is for holistic development of children under the age of 6 year and pregnant and lactating women.
- Child Protection Services – It aims to provide safe and secure environment for children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection and reduce vulnerabilities.
- National Crèche Services –It aims to provide a safe place for children of working mothers while they are at workthus, empowering them to take up employment.
- Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana – It provides cash incentive amounting to Rs. 5,000/- in three installments directly to the Bank/Post Office Account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mother (PW&LM) in DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) Mode during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling specific conditions.
- Poshan Abhiyan –It targets to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies by reducing mal-nutrition/undernutrition, anemia among young children as also, focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- Scheme for Adolescent Girls – It aims at out of school girls in the age group 11-14, to empower and improve their social status through nutrition, life skills and home skills.