Strengthening the ICDS Scheme

Source: The post is based on the article “Strengthening the ICDS Scheme” published in The Hindu on 15th June 2023

Syllabus: GS 2 – Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.

Relevance: About the performance of ICDS.

News: India’s high prevalence of stunting, wasting, and anaemia continues to pose public health risks for children and women. So, India must strengthen its existing social sector schemes, such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).

What is Integrated Child Development Services?

The ICDS targets children aged 0-6 years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers; addresses non-formal preschool education; and breaks the cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality.

What are the findings of various studies on the performance of ICDS?

Various studies have shown that a) Interventions focusing on nutrition, education, and health during early childhood like ICDS can significantly improve human capital, particularly in developing countries, b) The ICDS have a positive impact on cognitive achievements, especially among girls and those from economically disadvantaged families, c) 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, d) Adolescents aged 13-18, who 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.

Why ICDS needs a relook?

Despite four decades of persistent efforts, a) The ICDS still faces the herculean task of ameliorating the nutritional and health outcomes for children aged 0-6 years, b) Anganwadi workers are frequently stretched beyond their limits. For instance, their roles vary widely from employing modern technology, like smartphones and applications, to practical tasks such as delivering health education, managing feeding programmes, and intermediate with auxiliary nurse midwives and other healthcare professionals, c) There is a significant variation in the implementation of the ICDS and the level of skills of Anganwadi workers, and d) Anganwadi worker recruitment falls under the jurisdiction of State governments.

Why India should empower Anganwadi workers to strengthen ICDS?

India should take efforts to empower Anganwadi workers because a) It would lead to better health and educational outcomes: For example, a study from Tamil Nadu shows that 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, b) Children can exhibit reduced rates of child stunting and severe malnutrition, c) It is easy to implement and have significant benefits, d) New Anganwadi worker can be given the responsibility of concentrating only on preschool and early childhood education, This would allow existing workers to dedicate more time to child health and nutrition, and e) It will create job opportunities for local residents, particularly women (can create 1.3 million new jobs for women).

To unlock the ICDS’ full potential, revisiting and re-evaluating its strategies and implementation is essential. Empowering Anganwadi workers is just a start.