Govt restructuring ICDS scheme to overcome malnutrition among women, children

The government of India has recently approved the strengthening and restructuring of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme with special focus on pregnant and lactating mothers and children under three. The restructured and strengthened ICDS will be rolled out in three phases with focus on the 200 high burden districts for malnutrition during 2012-13; additional 200 districts in 2013-14 including districts from the special category States and North Eastern Region and the remaining districts in 2014-15.

Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development, government of India said the government has already launched an Information, Education and Communication Campaign (IEC) to generate awareness against malnutrition in the country.

The minister further said the National Food Security Ordinance 2013 / and National Food Security Bill, 2011 will also contribute towards food security. Government has also announced a pilot programme on Nutri-Farms for introducing new crop varieties that are rich in micro-nutrients such as iron-rich bajra, protein-rich maize and zinc-rich wheat.

The government has accorded high priority to the issue of malnutrition in the country and is implementing several schemes/ programmes of different ministries/departments through state governments/ union territories administrations. The schemes/ programmes include the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM), Rajiv Gandhi Schemes for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) namely SABLA, Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojna (IGMSY) as direct targeted interventions.

Besides, indirect Multi-sectoral interventions include Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), National Horticulture Mission, National Food Security Mission, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, National Rural Drinking Water Programme etc. Several of the schemes namely, ICDS, NRHM, MDM, SGSY (now merged in NRLM) have been expanded post 2005-06. All these schemes have potential to address one or other aspect of Nutrition.