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ICDS: Commissioner's Reports to the Supreme Court

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This page contains excerpts on ICDS in the reports by the commissioners to the Supreme Court. Please note that the first two reports did not have a reference on ICDS.

Third Report

There seems to have been little action as far as this scheme is concerned. This is unfortunate, since the provision of well-functioning anganwadi facilities in all villages is essential to protect small children from undernutrition. It is also worth recalling that the early years of life are of critical importance to a person's lifetime health and nutrition achievements. The interim order of 28 November 2001 states that an anganwadi should be available in "every habitation". I am not aware that any state has made serious efforts to implement this very important direction.4This is all the more deplorable as earlier experience in states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu indicates that providing well-functioning anganwadis in every habitation is feasible, affordable and effective.

The continued neglect of small children (aged below 3) in the ICDS programme deserves special mention. Even though the government acknowledges the importance of improving the nutritional status of the under-three age group, only recently were efforts begun to target them in the ICDS. Most supplementation has primarily benefited the older children, among whom mortality is lower and stunting is already established.

As many observers have reported, the GOI has been much more interested in expanding the ICDS programme than in ensuring that it achieves results. In their quest for "universalisation", they have favoured quantity over quality. That is, they are more interested in covering larger and larger populations than in reducing undernutrition rates.

While ICDS was eventually able to reach 80 percent of the development blocks in the country, it had no mechanisms to ensure that its services and supplemental food actually reached those most in need. In addition, workers were inadequately trained and were overextended, and the programme's outreach, health, and educational components were often neglected.

Fourth Report

2.2.1. T here is an alarming lack of attention in most states to the plight of pre-school children with no satisfactory arrangement of feeding the most needy age group of 6months -2years. T his is an extremely vulnerable age group and also the critical stage when under nutrition can cause serious long-term damage to the children's physical and mental well being. Such children must be brought to the anganwadi feeding centre and given adequate nutritious meals. In Bihar no feeding of children under this scheme in the first few months of the last financial year took place, as financial sanctions were not issued in time. This year too, financial sanction for the scheme was not is sued as on 11th August, 2003. Such procedural delays increase malnutrition during the most crucial monsoon months.

2.2.2. In the order dated 28 November 2001, the Court had directed the state governments to ensure that there is an ICDS centre in "every habitation". We are not aware that this order has been taken seriously, or even adequately noticed, in any state. Apart from the much- needed expansion in the number of centres needed, the functioning of existing ICDS centres is also very poor in large parts of the country. It is only in states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu that the needs of young children have been taken seriously and that most of the pre-school children have been effectively integrated in ICDS centres. It seems therefore that this crucial aspect of the right to food, has not received the attention it deserves.

Recommendations

4. Direct the states to comply with the order dated 28 November 2001, including the directions calling for an anganwadi to be available in each habitation, and for cover age of adolescent girls , pregnant and lactating women under the ICDS programme. (2.2. Pg. 9)

5. Also in compliance with the same direction, direct states to ensure that all slums are within convenient r each of an anganwadi and urban homeless children are covered in Anganwadis.

Special report (as a follow-up to fourth report)

5. The content in this section is largely drawn from a meeting convened by the Department of Women and Child Welfare, held at New Delhi on 25 November 2003. The meeting was called to discuss the recommendations made by the Commissioners regarding the ICDS programme as well as analyze to what extent the Hon'ble Courts orders have been complied with.

5.1 It may be recalled that in an order dated 28 November 2001, the Hon'ble Court had directed all states to ensure that there is an Anganwadi centre in "every settlement". The intention of the order was to provide universal access to ICDS. However, the Department of Women and Child Welfare has admitted in a recent meeting, that orders aimed at compliance with this directive have not been issued. Further, the Department maintains that due to financial constraints it is unable to cover "each child, pregnant & nursing mother and adolescent girl" under the scheme as directed by the Supreme Court6. Requests made by the Department for enhanced financial allocations have been turned down.

5.2 The response of the Department indicates that the Supreme Court Orders have been interpreted within the existing guidelines, rather than as directions that go beyond the same. This is the rationale used for not universalising the scheme either in terms of reaching every "settlement" or in terms of covering "each" beneficiary (child within the age group of 0-6, pregnant and nursing mother, adolescent girls).

5.3 The net result is that only 3.4 crore children are getting the benefit of supplementary nutrition under ICDS. This is nowhere near the number of children in the relevant age group (over 15 crores), or the numbers that are malnourished (8.5 crore), or even the numbers belonging to families below the poverty line (6 crores). The percentage of adolescent girls being covered is much less as the scheme for them has not been as per the information received from FCI as on 26.6.2003. 6 Dated 28thNovember 2001.

operationalised for all Anganwadi centres. The coverage of settlements is also not complete. At present for around 14 lakh habitations, there are only 6.05 lakh reporting Anganwadi centres. Thus the present coverage of the scheme is clearly insufficient to meet the needs of all those who require it.

We may add that 3.4 crore is the theoretical entitlement, actual coverage is much less, as the states do no provide sufficient funds to meet the cost of nutrition.

In the light of the above we advise the Honourable Court to:

A. Issue clarificatory orders that the term " settlement" as used in the Order dated 28 November 2003 pertains to a cluster of households within a village. The order must not be interpreted by the Department, as only operationalizing the present number of sanctioned ICDS projects.

B. Issue orders that the ICDS services be extended to every child, pregnant and lactating mother and adolescent girl, as directed in the order dated 28 November 2003. The services must not be restricted to disadvantaged families or to a predetermined number identified and given to the states.

Last updated: 24 September 2007