ICDS Full Form
Integrated Child Development Services
What does ICDS stand for? A government term, explained.
ICDS Full Form in English, letter by letter
ICDS is a Government of India scheme giving nutrition, pre-school learning and health services to children under six and mothers via Anganwadis.
ICDS Full Form in Indian Languages
ICDS is the Integrated Child Development Services, the scheme that runs the Anganwadi centres in Indian villages and towns. Its name is given below in six Indian languages.
What ICDS is and who it serves
The ICDS full form is Integrated Child Development Services. It is a Government of India scheme for children under six, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, and in some areas adolescent girls, delivered through a nationwide network of Anganwadi centres. It was launched on 2 October 1975 in 33 projects (blocks) and over the years it has spread to almost every district. It reaches crores of beneficiaries through roughly 14 lakh Anganwadi centres.
It is run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, implemented by state women and child development departments, and paid for jointly by the Centre and the states. Today ICDS sits inside the larger Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, which brought several nutrition schemes under one umbrella, but people still call the Anganwadi system ICDS.
The six services an Anganwadi is meant to give
An Anganwadi is a childcare centre run by an Anganwadi worker, usually a woman from the same village or neighbourhood, with an Anganwadi helper. The six services are supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, nutrition and health education, immunisation, health check-ups and referral services. Immunisation, check-ups and referrals are delivered together with the health system, so the Anganwadi works closely with the ANM and the ASHA worker.
Supplementary nutrition is given as hot cooked meals or snacks at the centre for children aged three to six, and as take-home rations for younger children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. The quantities are set by government nutrition norms, which have been revised over time, so ask the centre or the district office for the current entitlement instead of relying on an old figure.
Pre-school education is play-based and meant to prepare children for school. It does not teach the class 1 syllabus. The aim is that the child can listen, speak, hold a pencil and mix with other children by the time of school admission.
Who runs the Anganwadi on the ground
The chain of command runs upward from the Anganwadi worker. A supervisor looks after a group of centres, a Child Development Project Officer heads a block-level project, and district and state officials sit above. Workers and helpers are paid an honorarium, not a regular salary. The central government's share is currently Rs 4,500 a month for a worker at a main centre and Rs 2,250 for a helper, and many states add a top-up, so the amount a worker actually receives differs from state to state.
This workforce is the backbone of the scheme and also its best-known weakness. The pay is low, many posts are vacant, workers carry survey and data duties, and the quality of pre-school teaching depends heavily on the individual. Workers' unions have repeatedly asked for higher honoraria and recognition as regular staff.
Poshan Abhiyaan, Poshan Tracker and Saksham Anganwadi
In March 2018 the government launched Poshan Abhiyaan, the National Nutrition Mission, to bring departments together against stunting, undernutrition and anaemia. The Poshan Tracker app records Anganwadi attendance, ration deliveries and children's growth measurements, replacing many paper registers, and gives the ministry a live picture of coverage.
The Saksham Anganwadi programme aims to improve centre buildings, drinking water, toilets and digital tools. Studies of ICDS have found benefits for nutrition and school readiness in areas where it works well, along with uneven delivery from one state or centre to another. A functioning centre makes the difference.
How to use your local Anganwadi
Most services are not means-tested. A child under six living in the centre's area can attend and receive the nutrition and health services, and a pregnant or breastfeeding woman can register. Registration is done at the centre, where the worker records the child's details and may ask for an Aadhaar number for the Poshan Tracker. If a child has no Aadhaar yet, ask the worker about the alternative the state allows.
Services are free, and they are separate from ration cards under the PDS, so a family can use both. Keep the growth chart and immunisation records the worker maintains, because they are useful at the health centre and at school admission. If a centre is shut, rations do not arrive or the meal quality is poor, you can raise it with the supervisor, the Child Development Project Officer, or the state's grievance line.
For many families in rural and urban slum areas the Anganwadi is the first public service they use. If you have a child under six, find the nearest centre, register, and keep the growth and immunisation records the worker gives you.
ICDS Full Form: Common Questions
What is the full form of ICDS?
The full form of ICDS is Integrated Child Development Services. It is a Government of India scheme delivering nutrition, pre-school education and health services to children under six and to mothers through Anganwadi centres.
Who is eligible for ICDS services?
Children under six, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers living in the area of an Anganwadi centre, and in some areas adolescent girls. Most services are not means-tested, and registration is done at the local centre.
What services does an Anganwadi provide?
Supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, nutrition and health education, immunisation, health check-ups and referrals to the health centre. All are free of cost.
When was ICDS launched?
On 2 October 1975, in 33 projects (blocks). It has since expanded to cover almost the whole country.
Who runs an Anganwadi centre?
An Anganwadi worker, usually a local woman, assisted by a helper. They receive a monthly honorarium and report to a supervisor and, above that, a block-level Child Development Project Officer.
What is the difference between ICDS and Poshan 2.0?
ICDS is the long-standing Anganwadi scheme. Poshan 2.0, under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, is the larger programme that now includes it and aims to improve nutrition delivery, with better centres and technology such as the Poshan Tracker.
Is the Anganwadi meal the same as the school mid-day meal?
No. The Anganwadi gives nutrition to children below six, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. The school mid-day meal, now called PM POSHAN, is for children in school. A child may get Anganwadi food before school age and a school meal afterwards.