27.11.2025

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme

Context

Launched on 2 October 1975, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme marks five decades as one of India’s most significant welfare programmes aimed at improving child and maternal health. Over the years, it has grown into one of the world’s largest community-based interventions for early childhood care.

About the Scheme

Status

• Centrally Sponsored Scheme
   

Administering Ministry

• Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD)
   

Target Beneficiaries

• Children below 6 years of age
   
• Pregnant women
   
• Lactating mothers
   
• Adolescent girls
   

Objectives

• Enhance child nutrition and health
   
• Reduce malnutrition and school dropout rates
   
• Promote early childhood psychological, cognitive, and social development
   
• Improve maternal health and awareness
   

Service Delivery Mechanism

Implementation primarily takes place through Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) located across rural, tribal, and urban areas. These centres act as the focal point for delivering nutrition, health, and education-related services to mothers and children.

Six Core Services under ICDS

1. Supplementary Nutrition
    
2. Health & Nutrition Check-Ups
    
3. Immunization (in convergence with Health Ministry)
    
4. Non-Formal Pre-School Education
    
5. Nutrition & Health Education
    
6. Referral Services
    

These services address multiple dimensions of early childhood development, including physical growth, cognitive ability, and social behaviour.

Significance and Impact

• ICDS is among the largest early childhood and maternal health programmes globally.
   
• It plays a vital role in tackling:
   
  • Malnutrition
     
  • Immunization gaps
     
  • Low birth weight
     
  • Lack of early childhood education
     
• The programme aligns closely with the public health system, leveraging ASHAs, ANMs, district health facilities, and community networks.
   
• Support from UNICEF, World Bank, and other development partners has strengthened capacity-building, monitoring, and service quality.
   

Coverage

• Reaches 3.9 crore+ children below six years
   
• Benefits 80 lakh+ pregnant and lactating women
   
• Implemented through an extensive network of Anganwadi Centres nationwide
   

Outcomes

ICDS has contributed to:

• Improved early childhood nutrition
   
• Higher immunization rates
   
• Rise in average birth weight
   
• Better learning readiness
   
• Enhanced gender parity and women’s empowerment
   

Conclusion

The ICDS Scheme remains a cornerstone of India’s social welfare architecture, enabling holistic development among young children and strengthening maternal health. As it enters its 50th year, ongoing reforms and efforts toward universal coverage are essential to ensure effective, timely, and inclusive delivery of services across all regions.