The government has approved strengthening and restructuring of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme which will be inplemented in a mission mode during the 12th five year plan. The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs- CCEA chaired by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi yesterday.The financial implications for this scheme during this period will be over 1 lakh 23 thousand crore rupees. The restructured ICDS would be implemented in 200 high burden districts in the first year 2012-13 of the 12th plan, while additional 200 districts in 2013-14 including districts from special category states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and those from the northeastern region and remaining 243 districts in 2014-15.The ICDS scheme is expected to reduce under-nutrition by 10 percentage points in children upto 3 years age group. The scheme will also enhance early development and learning outcomes in all children below six years of age.
Another goal of the scheme is to improve care and nutrition of girls and women and reduce anemia prevalence in young children, girls and women by one-fifth.
ICDS, which is implemented by the Women and Child Development Ministry, is a universal programme for children under 6 years and pregnant and lactating mothers. Currently, it is benefiting 9.65 crore beneficiaries of which 7.82 crore is children and 1.83 crore is pregnant and lactating mothers