Assessing India's ICDS Program: Accomplishments & Obstacles in Tackling Child and Women's Health

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) has been instrumental in improving the health and well-being of women and children in India. However, the strike in Madhya Pradesh highlights the challenges facing the implementation of the ICDS scheme, particularly in terms of providing adequate infrastructure and trained staff. Addressing these challenges will be crucial in ensuring that the ICDS can continue to make progress towards its goals of improving child nutrition and health outcomes in India.

Child malnutrition has long been a national concern in India. In 1974, India launched the National Child Policy, which led to the establishment of the ICDS scheme. The ICDS is one of the most prominent human resource development programs in India and provides early childhood education, nutrition, and health services for children aged 0-6, as well as pregnant and lactating women.

ICDS Services and Programs

The ICDS umbrella includes several programs, such as the Anganwadi Services Scheme, which offers supplementary nutrition, preschool non-formal education, health check-ups, and referrals, among other services. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna provides cash incentives to pregnant and lactating mothers, while the National Creche Scheme offers daycare facilities for children of working mothers. The Scheme for Adolescent Girls focuses on strengthening and improving the social condition of out-of-school girls aged 11-14, while the Child Protection Scheme aims to protect vulnerable children from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Achievements of ICDS

The ICDS has made significant progress in reducing child malnutrition rates in India. Underweight children under the age of five have decreased from 42.5% in 2005-06 to 33.4% in 2019-20, while the prevalence of stunted children has decreased from 48% in 2005-06 to 34.7% in 2019-20. Additionally, almost 9 crore pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and over 8 crore children under the age of six have benefited from nutrition and health education programs under the ICDS.

Challenges of ICDS

Despite its successes, the ICDS still faces several challenges. The quality of services provided by the ICDS has been questioned, with reports of poor infrastructure, inadequate supplies, and a lack of trained staff. Furthermore, there are gaps in coverage and quality of services, with only 47.9% of children under five years of age and 53.6% of pregnant women receiving the recommended services from the ICDS, according to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5).

1.35 Lakh Workers Strike in Madhya Pradesh

Last week, 1.35 lakh workers, helpers, and mini Anganwadi Centers (AWC) workers from seventy thousand AWCs in Madhya Pradesh went on a strike, demanding an increase in grade pay, the authority to draw and disburse paychecks, and the regularisation and promotion of contractual workers. The employees complain that their demands have been ignored by the Madhya Pradesh leadership for more than three decades.

The strike has had a significant impact on ICDS services, with just 20,155 AWCs open across the state on March 25th. As a result, 27,77,000 children aged 3 to 6 were unable to have breakfast or lunch.