The recent survey has indicated that over 55% of the population did not receive Supplementary Nutrition under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in Jharkhand even once in the first half of 2021.
State of Vulnerability: The Case of Jharkhand
According to National Family Health Survey-4 data, every second child in Jharkhand is stunted and underweight and every third child is affected by stunting. Furthermore, every 10th child suffers from severe wasting, and approximately 70% of all children are anemic.
Overview of the ICDS
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. This centrally sponsored scheme, launched in 1975, encompasses six sub-schemes: Anganwadi Services Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, National Creche Scheme, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, Child Protection Scheme, and POSHAN Abhiyaan.
Key Sub-Schemes under ICDS
The Anganwadi Services Scheme, designed for early childhood care and development, targets children aged 0-6 years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. It offers a package of six services, one of which is Supplementary Nutrition. This service, including Take Home Ration (THR), Hot Cooked Meal, and morning snacks, plays a crucial role for vulnerable households by impacting the nutritional outcome of children.
Additionally, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana provides cash incentives amounting to Rs.5,000/- to Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) through DBT mode. The National Creche Scheme offers daycare facilities to children of working women, while the Scheme for Adolescent Girls aims to empower out of school girls.
Lastly, Child Protection Scheme seeks to improve the well-being of children in difficult circumstances and POSHAN Abhiyaan focuses on reducing levels of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia, and low birth weight babies.
Objectives of ICDS
ICDS program aims to enhance the nutritional and health status of children aged 0-6 years and lay the groundwork for their proper psychological, physical, and social development. The scheme also works towards reducing the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition, and school dropout. It strives to enable mothers to cater to their child’s health and nutritional needs and empower Adolescent Girls (AGs) to become self-reliant and aware citizens.
Other Government Initiatives Similar to ICDS
Some other government schemes that align with ICDS include National Health Mission (NHM), which focuses on health system strengthening in rural and urban areas; Mid Day Meal Scheme, which provides a meal to every child aged six to fourteen years studying in classes I to VIII; and National Nutrition Strategy, which aims to reduce all forms of undernutrition by 2030, focusing on the most vulnerable and critical age groups.
