As per 1991 census, India has around 150 million children, constituting 17.5% of India's population, who are below the age of 6 years. A large number of them live in economic and social environ- ment which impede the child's physical and mental development. These conditions include poverty, poor environmental sanitation, disease, infection, inadequate access to primary health care, inappropriate child caring and feeding practices. Government of India proclaimed a National Policy on Children in August 1974 declaring children as, "supremely important asset". The policy provided the required framework for assigning priority to different needs of the child. The programme of the Integrated Child Development Services(ICDS) was launched in 1975 seeking to provide an integrated package of services in a convergent manner for the holistic development of the child.

INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SCHEME
(ICDS)

ICDS symbolises the country's commitment to its children.

? ICDS through its advocacy and social mobilisation components aims to empower the community using communication channels and media as tools for development.

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme was conceived in 1975 with an integrated delivery package of early childhood services so that their synergistic effect can be taken full advantage of. The Scheme aims to improve the nutritional and health status of vulnerable groups including pre-school children, pregnant women and nursing mothers through providing a package of services including supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, immunization, health check-up, referral services and nutrition & health education. In addition, the Scheme envisages effective convergence of inter-sectoral services in the anganwadi centres.

Targetted Beneficiaries

The Scheme targets the most vulnerable groups of population including children upto 6 years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers belonging to poorest of the poor families and living in disadvantaged areas including backward rural areas, tribal areas and urban slums. The identification of beneficiaries is done through surveying the community and identifying the families living below the poverty line.

Recipients	Calories	Grams of Protein
Children upto 6 Years	300	8-10
Adolescent Girls	500	20-25
Pregnant and nursing mothers	500	20-25
Malnourished Children	Double the daily supplement provided to the other children(6000 and/or special utrients on medical recommendation

Objectives

The objectives of the scheme are :-

to improve the nutritional and health status of pre-school children in the age-group of 0-6 years;

to lay the foundation of proper psychological development of the child;

to reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school drop-out;

to achieve effective coordination 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.

Package of Services :

To achieve the above objectives, the ICDS aims at providing a package of services, consisting of

  Supplementary Nutrition;
Immunization;
Health Check-up;
Referral Services;
Non-formal Pre-school Education; and
Nutrition & Health Education.

Expansion of ICDS

The ICDS Scheme was sanctioned during 1975-76 in just 33 blocks of the country. At present, there are 4200 Operational ICDS Projects in the Country. Approval of the Cabinet has been obtained for operationalisation of 461 new ICDS blocks under World Bank assisted ICDS III and ICDS-APER projects during the next three years. In addition to this proposal for operationalisation of 390 ICDS Projects in a phased manner during IXth Plan period under General ICDS scheme has been submitted to CCEA for approval.

Expenditure on ICDS

Alongside gradual expansion of the Scheme, there has also been a significant increase in the Central Government's spending on implementation of the Scheme. As against the expenditure of only Rs. 1190.21 crores during 17 years,i.e. 1975-76 to 1991-92, the expenditure during the five years of the 8th Plan period was Rs. 2271.28 crores representing 191% increase in during just 5 years period as compared to 17 years period. The expenditure of Rs.2271.28 crores during VIIIth Plan was against the approved VIIIth Plan outlay of Rs.1285.74 crores for ICDS. During 1999-2000, against the budgetary allocation of Rs.855.76 crores , an amount of approximately Rs. 772 crores has been released upto Sept. 1999.

Coverage

The number of beneficiaries under the ICDS Scheme have also significantly increased over the period. As against 1.66 crores beneficiaries uptill March 1992, there are at present 2.77 crores beneficiaries as on June 1999.

Impact of the Scheme

The impact of the programme is evident from the remarkable improvements made in child survival and development indicators as enumerated below :

Decrease in Prevalence of Malnutrition among Pre-school Children

Improved immunisation Coverage in ICDS Areas

Decrease in IMR in ICDS Areas

Improvement in School Enrolment and Reduction in School Dropout Rate in ICDS Areas, 1992.

The most important impact of the Scheme is clearly reflected in significant decline in the levels of severely malnourished and moderately malnourished children and Infant Mortality Rate in the country. The percentage of children suffering from severely malnutrition have significantly declined from 15.3% during 1976-78 to 8.7% during 1988-90 (figures published by National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau). The Infant Mortality Rates have declined from 80 per 1000 live births in 1991 to 73 during 1994 (Sample Registration System).

2. WORLD BANK ASSISTED ICDS PROJECTS

External Assistance to ICDS
UNICEF	Essential supplies since 1975
SIDA	Tamil Nadu ( Closed on 30.6.1999)
WFP	Since 1976
CARE	Since 1976
NORAD	Closed in 1997
World Bank	TNP - II ( Closed on 31.12.97)
>> ICDS - I (Andhra Pradesh & Orissa) (Closed on 31.12.97) >> ICDS - II (Bihar & Madhya Pradesh) >> ICDS - III (Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh) >>ICDS-APER (Andhra Pradesh) >> UDISHA (National wide Training Programme)

ICDS-I

The World Bank evinced interest in funding schemes significantly contributing towards raising the status of health, nutrition and education of women and children and funded Tamil Nadu Integrated Nutrition Project (TINP), a State sector Project for Tamil Nadu during the period 1980-89. Subsequently encouraged with the success of the Project, the World Bank funded the ICDS programme. The first World Bank assisted ICDS Project covering 110 blocks in Andhra Pradesh and 191 blocks in Orissa was launched in 1990-91. The Project covered tribal blocks and socio-economically backward rural blocks in the two States. The World Bank committed assistance to the tune of to US $ 74 million. The Project closed on 31st December, 1997. The available credit under the Project has been fully utilised.

ICDS-II

Government of India has released an amount of Rs. 450 crores to the States of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh since commencement of the Project. The State Govt. of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have filed the disbursement claims amounting to Rs.306 crores to date.

ICDS-III

The World Bank Assisted ICDS-III Project was approved in March 1999 covering the states of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Kerala. The Project proposes to strengthen and improve the quality of ICDS services and management in the 685 existing ICDS blocks and introduces ICDS services in 318 new blocks. The Project would cover tribal blocks, rural disadvantaged blocks and urban blocks with poor outreach of basic services in these States. With this coverage the ICDS would be universalised in the States of Kerala, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Tamil Nadu is already fully covered under ICDS. The Project aims to bring about a substantive impact on health and nutrition status of children and women in the Project States. World Bank credit of US$ 300 million is available for the project. Government of India has released total fund of Rs.75.90 crores to the states to date, for implementation of the project.

Andhra Pradesh Economic Restructuring (APER) Project

A new World Bank Assisted ICDS Project in Andhra Pradesh was also approved in March 1999 as a component of Andhra Pradesh Economic Restructuring Project. The Project proposes to expand the ICDS Scheme in 143 new blocks in Andhra Pradesh and enrich quality of services in 108 existing ICDS blocks. The total project cost for 5 years is estimated at Rs.392.75 crores. The World Bank assistance to the tune of US $75 million is available for the project. An amount of Rs.49.14 crores has been released to date for implementation of the project.

3. ADOLESCENT GIRLS SCHEME

A special intervention has been devised for adolescent girls, using the ICDS infrastructure. This intervention focusses on school drop-outs, girls in the age group of 11-18 years, to meet their needs of self development, nutrition, health, education, literacy, recreation and skill formation. This scheme attempts to mobilise and enhance the potential of adolescent girls as social animators. It also seeks to improve their capabilities in addressing nutrition and health issues - through centre-based instructions, training camps and hands-on learning as well as sharing of experiences.

This scheme has been sanctioned in 507 blocks covering all the States and UTs and about 3.5 lakh beneficiaries have been covered under this Scheme. It is proposed to cover 1493 additional blocks during IXth plan period for which the CCEA approval is awaited.

The programme of training of ICDS functionaries at all levels such as Anganwadi Workers (focal point of delivery of ICDS services), Supervisors and Child Development Project Officers(in-charge of ICDS project) is being concurrently run to ensure the efficient delivery of services.

NIPCCD is an apex organisation for designing training programmes for ICDS functionaries. Training is imparted to ICDS functionaries through the NIPCCD through its three Regional Centres at Lucknow, Guwahati and Bangalore, 18 Middle Level Training Centers and 300 Anganwadi Workers Training Centres. In addition to this, the Central Technical Committee (now renamed as Central Technical Committee - Integrated Mother & Child Development) also gives training to medical and para-medical staff.

 The Balsevika Training Programme was started in 1961-62 to meet the requirements of trained personnel in the institutions implementing welfare programmes for children. The training programme is being implemented by the Indian Council for Child Welfare through 25 Balsevika Training Institutes. About 1250 Balsevikas are trained annually.

In pursuance of the National Policy for Children, the scheme started in 1975. Children in the vulnerable age group of 0-5 of mainly migrant, casual and agricultural labourers and construction workers are provided with day-care services. There are 12470 creches throughout the country. The Scheme is being implemented by Central Social Welfare Board, Bhartiya Adimjati Sewa Sangh, Indian Council for Child Welfare.

The National Creche Fund (NCF) was set up during 1993-94 with a corpus of Rs.19.90 crores to meet the growing demand for creches. Under this scheme, assistance is given to registered voluntary organisations/mahila mandals to open and run creches. Only the interest accruing to the fund is utilised for the purpose. 1805 creches have been set up from the Creche Fund.

The scheme being implemented since 1982 has been visualised as a strategy to reduce the dropout rate and to improve the rate of retention of children in schools. The scheme is being run by voluntary organisations through 4365 ECE centres in nine educationally backward States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The Programme is being implemented since 1971. There are around 5641 Balwadis throughout the country benefiting 2.25 lakh children. The programme extends supplementary nutrition consisting of 300 calories and 12.15 gms. of protein every day per child in the age group of 3-5 years.

OTHER PROGRAMMES

The National Children's Fund was created during the International Year of the Child in 1979 under the Charitable Endowment Fund Act, 1890. The Fund provides financial assistance to voluntary agencies for implementing programmes for the welfare of children including rehabilitation of destitute children.

India is a signatory to the 27 survival and development goals laid down by the World Summit on children 1990. In order to implement these goals, the Department of Women & Child Development has formulated a National Plan of Action on Children. Each concerned Central Ministries/Departments, State Governments/U.Ts. and Voluntary Organisations dealing with women and children have been asked too take up appropriate measures to implement the Action Plan. These goals have been integrated into National Development Plans. A Monitoring Committee under the Chairpersonship of Secretary (Women & Child Development) reviews the achievement of goals set in the National Plan of Action. All concerned Central Ministries/Departments are represented on the Committee.

The Department addressed the Chief Secretaries of States to prepare State Plans of Action (SPAs) on the lines of NPA, specifying their targets for 1995 as well as for 2000 and spelling out strategies for holistic child development.

15 State Govts. have prepared State Plan of Action on the lines of National Plan of Action specifying targets for 1995 as well as for 2000 and spelling out strategies for holistic child development.

Department of Women and Child Development is the nodal department for UNICEF. India is associated with UNICEF since 1949 and is now in the fifth decade of cooperation for assisting most disadvantaged children and their mothers. Traditionally, UNICEF has been supporting India in a number of sectors like child development, women's development, urban basic services, support for community based convergent services, health, education, nutrition, water & sanitation, childhood disability, children in especially difficult circumstances, information and communication, planning and programme support. India is presently a member on the UNICEF Executive Board till 31 December, 1997. The board has 3 regular sessions and one annual session in a year. Strategies and other important matters relating to UNICEF are discussed in those meetings. A meeting of Government of India and UNICEF officials was concurred on 12^th November, 1997 to finalise the strategy and areas for programme of cooperation for the next Master Plan of operations 1999-2002 which is to synchronise with the Ninth Plan of Government of India.