New Delhi, 2 October (IANS) In the current distribution in a clear jib, Congress leader Jeram Ramesh on Thursday launched the Unified Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme launched during the Indira Gandhi government, which later went through name changes, “failed” to achieve a success.
Jeram Ramesh said that ICDS was launched by the then PM Indira Gandhi on this day 50 years ago, but it has failed to meet her promises “despite going through” Rehisting and Rebranding “one -two times.
Taking its X handle, the Congress Communications In-charge said, “ICDS has been renamed as Mission Sakasham Anganwadi and Pohan 2.0. Unfortunately, the rule of the plan has not put pace with the name change.”
The achievements achieved under this scheme and milestones were highlighted, said, “Today, there are 13.96 lakh Anganwadi centers across the country that provide early education, health and nutritional services for more than 7.65 crore children across the country.”
He said, “For decades, ICD is important for tremendous improvement in our human development indicators. It is the largest – if not the largest child welfare programs in the world,” he said.
He also said that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on women and child development headed by Congress leader Digvijay Singh made several major recommendations to strengthen the ICDS.
Jeram Ramesh further said that these recommendations made their way in the Congress NYAY PATRA for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which were as follows:
*Doubling the wages of Anganwadi workers and assistants
*Having an additional worker for each Anganwadi center to focus especially on childhood care and education
*Allocating adequate funds for ICDs, including amendment of cost norms for Anganwadi services-which was going to be in FY20-21, but still has not happened despite being promised in the Finance Minister’s budget speech earlier this year earlier this year.
*Extension of Anganwadi services to include day-care and cric services for children over 6 months of age
*Instead of relying on the data of census 2011, increase in number of Anganwadis in 2025 as per the estimated population of the country
*Provision of hot ripe food for all eligible beneficiaries of Anganwadi services instead of house-to-door ration
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MR/SVN