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Key Points

Jairam Ramesh marked 50 years of the ICDS scheme with mixed feelings. He acknowledged the program's massive scale serving millions of children across India. However, he criticized how repeated name changes haven't improved governance issues. The Congress party has included several reforms for ICDS in their election manifesto.

Key Points: Jairam Ramesh Says ICDS Failed Despite Name Changes

  • ICDS scheme launched 50 years ago by Indira Gandhi but failed promises
  • Scheme renamed to Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 recently
  • Currently serves 7.65 crore children through 13.96 lakh centers
  • Congress Nyay Patra proposes doubling Anganwadi workers' wages
2 min read

Scheme didn't keep pace with name change: Jairam Ramesh on 50 years of ICDS 

Congress leader criticizes ICDS scheme's governance 50 years after Indira Gandhi launched it, says renaming didn't improve implementation while acknowledging its scale

"Unfortunately, the governance of the scheme has not kept pace with the name change. - Jairam Ramesh"

New Delhi, Oct 2

In an apparent jibe at the current dispensation, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday rued that the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, launched during Indira Gandhi government, which has undergone subsequent name changes, "failed" to achieve a breakthrough.

Jairam Ramesh said that the ICDS was launched by the then PM Indira Gandhi 50 years ago on this day, but it has "failed" to live up to its promises despite undergoing "'rechristening and rebranding" a couple of times.

Taking to his X handle, the Congress Communications in-charge said, "The ICDS has since been renamed and subsumed under the Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0. Unfortunately, the governance of the scheme has not kept pace with the name change."

Highlighting the achievements and milestones achieved under the scheme, he said, "Today, there are 13.96 lakh Anganwadi Centers across the country which provide early education, health, and nutrition services to more than 7.65 crore children across the country."

"Over the decades, the ICDS has been critical to the tremendous improvement in our human development indicators. It is one of the largest – if not the largest – child welfare programmes in the world," he added.

He also stated that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women and Child Development under the Chairmanship of Congress leader Digvijay Singh made several key recommendations for strengthening the ICDS.

Jairam Ramesh further informed that these recommendations made their way into the Congress Nyay Patra for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, which were as follows:

*Doubling the wages of the Anganwadi workers and helpers

*Hiring an additional worker for every Anganwadi center to focus exclusively on early childhood care and education

*Allocating sufficient funds for the ICDS, including the revision of cost norms for Anganwadi services – which was supposed to have occurred in FY20-21 but has still not occurred despite being promised in the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech earlier this year

*Extension of Anganwadi services to include day-care and creche services for children above 6 months of age

*Increasing the number of Anganwadis in line with the estimated population of the country in 2025, rather than relying on Census 2011 figures

*Provision of hot cooked meals rather than take-home rations for all eligible beneficiaries of Anganwadi services

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Instead of political blame games, we need constructive solutions. Both governments have contributed to ICDS. The focus should be on improving implementation rather than renaming schemes. Hot cooked meals and better facilities are what matter to children.
A
Anjali F
The recommendation to update population figures is crucial! My area has grown so much since 2011 but we still have the same number of Anganwadis. Children have to walk 2-3 km to reach the center. This needs urgent attention.
M
Michael C
While I appreciate the historical context, let's acknowledge that 13.96 lakh centers serving 7.65 crore children is an impressive achievement by any standard. The scheme has done remarkable work in improving child nutrition across India.
S
Siddharth J
The creche services for children above 6 months would be a game-changer for working mothers like my wife. Currently, she had to leave her job because we couldn't afford private daycare. Hope this gets implemented soon! 🤞
K
Kavya N
Renaming schemes has become a political trend, but what matters is whether children are getting proper nutrition and education. The additional worker for early childhood education is a much-needed reform. Quality matters more than names.

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