Integrated Child Development Services scheme

(MainsGS2:Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.)

Context:

• India’s high prevalence of stunting, wasting, and anaemia continues to pose public health risks for children and women.
• The ICDS targets children aged 0-6 years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers; addresses non-formal pre-school education; and breaks the cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality.

Huge importance:

• Many researches highlight the correlation between early-life poverty, malnutrition, and inadequate stimulation, and later cognitive and economic challenges. 
• They showed that interventions focusing on nutrition, education, and health during early childhood can significantly improve human capital, particularly in developing countries.
• And the ICDS’s positive impact on cognitive achievements, especially among girls and those from economically disadvantaged families.
• Studies also found that children who were exposed to ICDS during the first three years of life completed 0.1-0.3 more grades of schooling than those who were not. 
• Further, it was found that adolescents aged 13-18, who were born in villages with proper ICDS implementation, showed a 7.8% increased likelihood of school enrolment and completed an average of 0.8 additional grades compared to their peers who did not have access to the ICDS.

Empowering Anganwadi workers:

• A significant first step towards fortifying the programme is to empower Anganwadi workers. 
• Though the cornerstone of the ICDS, they are frequently stretched beyond their limits. 
• As principal operatives in the Poshan 2.0 initiative, these workers bear the onus of advancing child nutrition, health, and education in their communities. 
• Their roles vary widely from employing modern technology, like smartphones and applications, to practical tasks such as delivering health education, managing feeding programmes, and liaising with auxiliary nurse midwives and other healthcare professionals.

Increase workforce:

• An additional Anganwadi worker could be added to each of India’s 13,99,661 Anganwadi centers to lessen the load of these workers. 
• it would lead to better health and educational outcomes and the children who remained enrolled also exhibited reduced rates of child stunting and severe malnutrition.
• Apart from improving the well-being of rural communities, this would create job opportunities for local residents, particularly women.
• Case study: A large-scale randomised controlled trial by Alejandro Ganimian, Karthik Muralidharan and Christopher Walters in Tamil Nadu, conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing staff levels within the ICDS framework, revealed significant outcomes. 
• The addition of a half-time worker effectively doubled the net preschool instructional time, which led to improvements in math and language test scores for children enrolled in the programme.

Provides funds:

• The operationalisation of the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 proposal hinges on its status as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. 
• State governments oversee its execution, including administration, management, and monitoring. 
• Consequently, Anganwadi worker recruitment falls under their jurisdiction, guided by regulations and region-specific criteria. 
• This decentralised approach promotes tailored, efficient implementation. 
• The Government of India provides funds for Anganwadi workers’ and helpers’ honorariums on a cost-sharing basis.

Conclusion:

• India needs to strengthen its existing social sector schemes, such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
• Thus to unlock the ICDS’ full potential and address persistent issues, it is essential to revisit and re-evaluate its strategies and implementation.