The beneficiaries of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) of
the Ministry of Women and Child Development for supplementary nutrition
(children 6 months to 6 years) and pregnant and lactating mothers
increased to 972.49 lakh as on 31.3.2012 (end of XIth plan) from 705.43
lakh as on 31.3.2007 (end of Xth Plan) thereby registering a 37.85%
increase between the two Plans. Similarly, number of pre-school children
(3-6 years) attended AWCs for pre-school education have increased from
300.81 lakh as on 31.3.2007 (end of Xth plan) to 358.22 lakh as on
31.3.2012 (end of XIth plan) (57.41 lakh increased beneficiaries i.e.
19.08%).
During the XIth plan, 1079 new projects and 4,59,868 new Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)/mini-AWCs became operational under the scheme. As on 31.1.2013, the cumulative number of operational projects and AWCs is 7025 and 13.31 lakh respectively.
ICDS under the Ministry of Women and Child Development is a centrally-sponsored Scheme for holistic development of child. The scheme provides six services viz. supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition & health education, immunization, health check-up and referral services. The last three services namely immunization, health check-up and referral services are delivered through public health system.
The scheme is implemented through the State Governments/UT Administrations. The Government of India lays down the policy and releases funds to the States/UTs in the prescribed cost sharing ratio for implementation of the scheme as per the guidelines.
Periodical assessment of progress/achievements made by the States/UTs and improvement in functioning of various components of the scheme is an on-going and continuous process. This is done largely through monitoring reports and review meetings.
During the review meetings, broadly, the issues which are taken up for discussions/review are status of operationalization of projects and AWCs, filling up of vacant posts, diversion of manpower on non-ICDS functions, welfare issues of AWWs/AWHs. Supplementary Nutrition Programme (No. of days SNP given in a month, method of delivery, adherence to the nutritional and feeding norms, regularity in distribution, etc.), procurement and availability of medicine and Pre-School Education kits, holding health and nutrition education session and VHND per month, home visits by AWWs, growth monitoring and Joint MCP card, community and Panchayati Raj involvement, financial management – (timely submission of SoEs, utilization of funds earmarked under various heads, timely payment of honoraria, etc.), infrastructural issues, implementation of monitoring guidelines, training, etc.
During review meetings, shortcomings, if any, noticed in achieving the desired level of target in respect of above issues are brought to the notice of the States/UTs and the States/UTs which are lagging behind in proper implementation of the scheme are urged to expedite pending issues and prepare a time bound action plan to achieve the same.
Besides the review meetings taken at the national and State level, implementation of the scheme is monitored through Monthly Progress Reports and Quarterly Progress Reports sent by the States/UTs to the Government of India. Being a highly decentralized programme, a Five-tier Monitoring mechanism with defined tasks has also been assigned to monitor the progress of implementation of the scheme at all the levels viz. national, State, district, block and the Anganwadi level. MIS has also been revised under the strengthening and restructuring of ICDS, recently approved by the Government.
Due to rapid expansion in recent years, a number of gaps have crept in the scheme which was not matched with financial and manpower resources. It needed corrective measures which lead to the government approving strengthening and restructuring of ICDS scheme with a financial outlay of Rs.1,23,580 crore during the XIIth Five Year Plan.
The key features of Strengthened and Restructured ICDS inter-alia include addressing the gaps and challenges with (a) special focus on children under 3 years and pregnant and lactating mothers (b) strengthening and repackaging of services including , care and nutrition counseling services and care of severely underweight children (c) a provision for an additional Anganwadi Worker cum Nutrition Counselor for focus on children under 3 years of age and to improve the family contact, care and nutrition counseling for P&L Mothers in the selected 200 high-burden districts across the country, besides having provision of link worker, 5% crèche cum Anganwadi centre (d) focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) (e) forging strong institutional and programmatic convergence particularly, at the district, block and village levels (f) models providing flexibility at local levels for community participation (g) introduction of APIP (h) improving Supplementary Nutrition Programme including cost revision, (i) provision for construction and improvement of buildings of Anganwadi centres (j) allocating adequate financial resources for other components including Monitoring and Management and Information System(MIS), Training and use of Information and communication technology (ICT), (k) to put ICDS in a mission mode etc. and (l) revision of financial norms etc.
For proper implementation and optimum utilization of funds by the States/UTs under various components of the scheme, the release of funds has been linked to their submission and approval of Annual Programme Implementation Plan.
This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.
During the XIth plan, 1079 new projects and 4,59,868 new Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)/mini-AWCs became operational under the scheme. As on 31.1.2013, the cumulative number of operational projects and AWCs is 7025 and 13.31 lakh respectively.
ICDS under the Ministry of Women and Child Development is a centrally-sponsored Scheme for holistic development of child. The scheme provides six services viz. supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition & health education, immunization, health check-up and referral services. The last three services namely immunization, health check-up and referral services are delivered through public health system.
The scheme is implemented through the State Governments/UT Administrations. The Government of India lays down the policy and releases funds to the States/UTs in the prescribed cost sharing ratio for implementation of the scheme as per the guidelines.
Periodical assessment of progress/achievements made by the States/UTs and improvement in functioning of various components of the scheme is an on-going and continuous process. This is done largely through monitoring reports and review meetings.
During the review meetings, broadly, the issues which are taken up for discussions/review are status of operationalization of projects and AWCs, filling up of vacant posts, diversion of manpower on non-ICDS functions, welfare issues of AWWs/AWHs. Supplementary Nutrition Programme (No. of days SNP given in a month, method of delivery, adherence to the nutritional and feeding norms, regularity in distribution, etc.), procurement and availability of medicine and Pre-School Education kits, holding health and nutrition education session and VHND per month, home visits by AWWs, growth monitoring and Joint MCP card, community and Panchayati Raj involvement, financial management – (timely submission of SoEs, utilization of funds earmarked under various heads, timely payment of honoraria, etc.), infrastructural issues, implementation of monitoring guidelines, training, etc.
During review meetings, shortcomings, if any, noticed in achieving the desired level of target in respect of above issues are brought to the notice of the States/UTs and the States/UTs which are lagging behind in proper implementation of the scheme are urged to expedite pending issues and prepare a time bound action plan to achieve the same.
Besides the review meetings taken at the national and State level, implementation of the scheme is monitored through Monthly Progress Reports and Quarterly Progress Reports sent by the States/UTs to the Government of India. Being a highly decentralized programme, a Five-tier Monitoring mechanism with defined tasks has also been assigned to monitor the progress of implementation of the scheme at all the levels viz. national, State, district, block and the Anganwadi level. MIS has also been revised under the strengthening and restructuring of ICDS, recently approved by the Government.
Due to rapid expansion in recent years, a number of gaps have crept in the scheme which was not matched with financial and manpower resources. It needed corrective measures which lead to the government approving strengthening and restructuring of ICDS scheme with a financial outlay of Rs.1,23,580 crore during the XIIth Five Year Plan.
The key features of Strengthened and Restructured ICDS inter-alia include addressing the gaps and challenges with (a) special focus on children under 3 years and pregnant and lactating mothers (b) strengthening and repackaging of services including , care and nutrition counseling services and care of severely underweight children (c) a provision for an additional Anganwadi Worker cum Nutrition Counselor for focus on children under 3 years of age and to improve the family contact, care and nutrition counseling for P&L Mothers in the selected 200 high-burden districts across the country, besides having provision of link worker, 5% crèche cum Anganwadi centre (d) focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) (e) forging strong institutional and programmatic convergence particularly, at the district, block and village levels (f) models providing flexibility at local levels for community participation (g) introduction of APIP (h) improving Supplementary Nutrition Programme including cost revision, (i) provision for construction and improvement of buildings of Anganwadi centres (j) allocating adequate financial resources for other components including Monitoring and Management and Information System(MIS), Training and use of Information and communication technology (ICT), (k) to put ICDS in a mission mode etc. and (l) revision of financial norms etc.
For proper implementation and optimum utilization of funds by the States/UTs under various components of the scheme, the release of funds has been linked to their submission and approval of Annual Programme Implementation Plan.
This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.
