INTEGRATED CHILD-DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SCHEME AND NUTRITIONAL-STATUS OF INDIAN CHILDREN

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is one of the major National Human Resource Development Programmes of the Government of India, The programme completed 18 years of its effective operation al duration on 2 October 1993, During this period we have conducted va rious baseline surveys, multicentre longitudinal and periodic studies, and unicentre special study projects to determine the impact of the p rogramme on the nutritional status of children aged 0 to < 6 years and evaluate the coverage of the scheme. The children with normal nutriti on in ICDS blocks constituted 50 per cent of the surveyed population i n 1976 in comparison to 75 per cent observed in baseline data of 1990 survey, There was a highly significant decrease in severely malnourish ed children from 21 per cent in 1976 to 7 per cent in 1990. The benefi t of the programme was evident in all sections of the society includin g Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward and Minority communitie s, The nutritional services (supplementary nutrition, Vit, A, Iron, an d Folic Acid) coverage of the children increased from 25 per cent in 1 976 to 53 per cent in 1985 in ICDS blocks in comparison to 42 per cent in non-ICDS blocks, while that for pregnant and lactating women incre ased from 17 per cent and 14 per cent in 1976 to 25 per cent and 26 pe r cent 1985, respectively.