India 2018

574 India 2018
and lactating mothers in a time bound manner over a period of three years
with the objectives of preventing and reducing under-nutrition in children (0-3
years); reducing the prevalence of anaemia among young children (6-59 months);
reducing the prevalence of anaemia among women and adolescent girls (15-49
years) and reducing low birth weight.
Anganwadi Services
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme now known as
Anganwadi Services Scheme was launched in 1975 with the objective to improve
the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years; lay the
foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the
child; reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school
dropouts; achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst
the various departments to promote child development; and enhance the
capability of the mothers to look after the normal health and nutritional needs
of the children through proper nutrition and health education. The beneficiaries
of the scheme are children below six years of age, pregnant and lactating
mothers. It is self selecting and is open to all the beneficiaries without any precondition.
The above objectives are achieved by providing a package of six
services by AWWs/ AWHs under the ICDS scheme, viz., supplementary
nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education,
immunization, health check-up; and referral services. The concept of providing
a package of services is based primarily on the consideration that the overall
impact will be much larger if the different services develop in an integrated
manner as the efficacy of a particular service depends upon the support it
receives from related services. These services are provided through 14 lakhs
sanctioned Anganwadis spread across the country. Sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the
National Food Security Act are applicable to the ICDS as these Sections made a
provision for providing nutritious food to the children including malnourished
children and pregnant and lactating mothers. As per the provisions of the Act,
the Rules for providing SNP under the ICDS were notified in 2017.
Improving Anganwadi Infrastructure
The Government is committed to repositioning the Anganwadi Centre (AWC)
as a vibrant early childhood development centre to become the first village
outpost for health, nutrition and early learning. Towards this end, several steps
have been taken for improvement and strengthening of ICDS scheme covering
programmatic, management and institutional areas.
Supplementary Nutrition
In pursuance of the provisions contained in the National Food Security Act
(NFSA), 2013, the Ministry has notified the (under the Integrated Child
Development Scheme Rules, 2017) in 2017 to regulate the entitlement specified
under provisions of said Act for every pregnant woman and lactating mother
till 6 months after child birth, and every child in the age group of 6 months
to 6 years (including those suffering from malnutrition) for 300 days in a year,