Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
Current Affairs & Government Schemes › Health and Nutrition Schemes · Topic 4.9
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme is one of the world's largest early childhood programmes, launched on 2 October 1975 in 33 community development blocks and now run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development as the Anganwadi Services component of Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0. It serves children aged 0 to 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers through Anganwadi centres, giving six services: supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education, immunisation, health check-ups and referral. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, universalised in 2005-06, with the Anganwadi worker and helper as frontline staff and roughly 14 lakh sanctioned centres.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Current Affairs & Government Schemes · Health and Nutrition Schemes
At a Glance
- Ministry Women and Child Development
- Launched 2 October 1975
- Beneficiaries Children 0 to 6, mothers
- Services Six
- Delivery point Anganwadi centre
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Health and Nutrition Schemes
Where Does It Fit?
This is the ninth topic of the macro on health and nutrition. It is the long-running service delivery network that the nutrition mission in the previous topic works through. Previous topic: POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission). Next topic: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (Generic Medicines).
What Are the Six Services of ICDS?
| Service | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Supplementary nutrition | Hot cooked meals, take-home rations and snacks for children aged 6 months to 6 years and for pregnant and lactating women, with norms fixed by the Centre |
| Pre-school non-formal education | Play based early learning for children aged 3 to 6 years, now aligned with the foundational stage of the National Education Policy 2020 |
| Nutrition and health education | Counselling to women aged 15 to 45 on infant feeding, hygiene and care |
| Immunisation | Vaccination of children and pregnant women, in coordination with the health system |
| Health check-up | Antenatal and postnatal care, weighing and health checks for children under six |
| Referral services | Sick or malnourished children are referred to health facilities and nutrition rehabilitation centres |
How Is ICDS Organised and Funded?
- Anganwadi centre: the village level unit, whose name means courtyard shelter, serves a population of about 400 to 800, with mini-centres in smaller habitations
- Anganwadi worker and helper: each centre has a worker and a helper, both paid honoraria and not regular government staff, and they run feeding, weighing and home visits
- Supervisors and CDPOs: Lady Supervisors oversee about 20 centres, and a Child Development Project Officer heads each block level project
- Funding: a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, with the Centre and states sharing costs, generally in a 60:40 ratio, and a 90:10 ratio for north-eastern and Himalayan states
- Nutrition norms: the Centre has revised the cost norms for supplementary nutrition so that food is more diverse, as reported
- Universalisation: the Supreme Court in the Right to Food case ordered that every settlement should have an Anganwadi centre, and the scheme was universalised in 2005-06
- Legal backing: the National Food Security Act, 2013 makes supplementary nutrition a legal entitlement for children and mothers
- Technology: Anganwadi workers use smartphones and the Poshan Tracker to record attendance, growth and rations
What Else Should You Remember?
- Origin: ICDS was started on 2 October 1975, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, after the National Policy for Children of 1974, on a pilot basis in 33 blocks
- Why it began: high child malnutrition, mortality and school dropouts led the government to combine health, nutrition and education in one platform
- Ministry shift: ICDS first sat under the Department of Social Welfare, and then the Department of Women and Child Development, which became a Ministry in 2006
- Poshan 2.0: from 2021-22 ICDS became the Anganwadi Services part of the umbrella mission, as in POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)
- Scale: about 14 lakh Anganwadi centres are sanctioned, and the number of beneficiaries is stated to be more than 8 crore, according to Ministry figures
- Early childhood education: the National Education Policy 2020 places Anganwadi centres in the foundational stage and promotes the early childhood care and education curriculum
- Adolescent girls: the Scheme for Adolescent Girls offered nutrition and life skills to girls aged 14 to 18 in selected districts, and is now part of Poshan 2.0
- Creches: Anganwadi-cum-crèches are being set up for children of working mothers, as in Palna Scheme for Working Mothers
- Health links: immunisation and antenatal care link ICDS to the health mission, as in Mission Indradhanush (Immunization)
- Criticism: low honoraria, vacancies, poor infrastructure, weak pre-school education and reported uneven food quality
- Tracker concerns: workers report connectivity problems and a heavy data load, and eligible families sometimes miss out when Aadhaar is required
- Constitutional link: Article 45, as amended in 2002, directs the State to provide early childhood care and education to all children until they complete six years
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Date: 2 October 1975
- Services: six services, with supplementary nutrition as the main one
- Beneficiaries: children 0 to 6 years, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls in some districts
- Staff: Anganwadi worker and helper, supervised by CDPO
- Traps: ICDS is run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, not the Health Ministry
As an analytical point, the Anganwadi network reaches the poorest households but is held back by low pay and heavy workloads. Better honoraria, trained pre-school teaching and more food variety would raise the value of existing spending.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Facts Date, services, staff
- Policy Early childhood
- Mains Quality and workers
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the scheme for low-cost generic medicines. Next topic: Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (Generic Medicines).
Key People and Terms
- ICDS Early childhood services
- Anganwadi Courtyard shelter
- AWW Anganwadi worker
- CDPO Block project officer
- ECCE Early childhood education
- THR Take-home ration
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Launched: 2 October 1975.
- Services: six.
- Age: 0 to 6 years.
- Ministry: Women and Child Development.
- Now: Poshan 2.0 component.
Do Not Confuse With
- ICDS and PM POSHAN Anganwadi services for under sixes versus school meals for classes 1 to 8
- Anganwadi worker and ASHA Child care and nutrition versus health linkage
- ICDS and POSHAN Abhiyaan Service network versus nutrition outcome mission
Memory Hook
Courtyard, worker, helper: six services for the first six years.
Mains Angle
Questions ask whether the Anganwadi system can deliver on early childhood goals. These points help.
- Strength Reach and trust
- Weakness Pay and quality
- Way Invest in the worker and ECCE
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Evaluate the role of the Integrated Child Development Services in improving early childhood outcomes and suggest reforms.”
How to Answer
- Intro State the 1975 launch and six services.
- Role Nutrition, health links, early learning.
- Gaps Pay, infrastructure, pre-school quality.
- Way Honoraria, training, tracking, ECCE.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Integrated Child Development Services scheme?
ICDS is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched on 2 October 1975 that gives six services to children aged 0 to 6, pregnant women and lactating mothers through Anganwadi centres. The services are supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, nutrition and health education, immunisation, health check-ups and referral.
Who is eligible for ICDS services?
Children aged 6 months to 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers are eligible for supplementary nutrition and other services at the Anganwadi centre. Adolescent girls aged 14 to 18 are covered in selected districts. Services are free and do not depend on the household income.
Which ministry runs ICDS?
The Ministry of Women and Child Development runs ICDS. States implement it through the Directorate of Social Welfare or Women and Child Development, with a Child Development Project Officer at block level and an Anganwadi worker and helper at each centre in every village.
What does the word Anganwadi mean?
Anganwadi means courtyard shelter in Hindi. An Anganwadi centre is a village level childcare centre set up under ICDS, usually serving 400 to 800 people. It is staffed by a worker and a helper and runs feeding, weighing, pre-school activities and health and nutrition counselling.
What is the latest status of ICDS?
Since 2021-22 ICDS functions as Anganwadi Services within Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, together with POSHAN Abhiyaan and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls. About 14 lakh centres are sanctioned, and the Poshan Tracker is used for monitoring. Continuation beyond March 2026 should be checked in official releases.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 ICDS was launched on 2 October 1975.
It started in 33 blocks.
2 ICDS offers four services to beneficiaries.
It offers six services.
3 ICDS is run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The Health Ministry only coordinates.
4 Anganwadi centres serve children aged 0 to 6 years.
Pregnant and lactating women are also covered.
Related Topics
Browse the full Current Affairs & Government Schemes index