Brief

The Anganwadi Services [earlier known as Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) launched in 1975] has now been revised and subsumed under 'Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0'.

'Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0' includes nutritional support for children below the age of 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, Adolescent Girls (14 – 18 years); Early Childhood Care and Education [3-6 years]; Anganwadi infrastructure including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadi, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent Girls.

It is a flagship programme of the Government of India and represents one of the world's largest programme for nutrition and Early Childhood Care and Development. It is the foremost symbol of the country's commitment to wellbeing of its children, pregnant and lactating mothers.

The Central Government is responsible for policy and planning and the state governments are responsible for day-to-day program implementation.

Under Mission Poshan 2.0, services are provided through three components:

• Anganwadi Services

  The Anganwadi Services Scheme provides the following package of services in an integrated manner to eligible beneficiaries:

  • supplementary nutrition
  • pre-school non-formal education
  • nutrition & health education
  • immunization
  • health check-up and
  • referral services

  Three of the six services, viz., immunization, health check-up and referral services, are related to health and are provided by NHM & Public Health Infrastructure.

• Poshan Abhiyan

  Poshan Abhiyaan, an overarching scheme for holistic nourishment is Government of India’s flagship scheme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The Abhiyaan was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 8th March, 2018.

  It is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India. The Abhiyaan provides a platform to converge the activities of various stakeholders towards attaining the goal of ‘Suposhit Bharat’. Under Poshan Abhiyaan the high impact interventions of various Ministries/Departments have been mapped-out, especially during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life since conception.

  The key components of the scheme are; convergence, use of technology, community mobilization and behavioral change, Jan Andolan, capacity building, innovation, incentives and awards.

• SAG

  Under the Scheme for Adolescent Girls, the targeted beneficiaries are Adolescent Girls in the age group of 14 to 18 years in Aspirational Districts of States and all districts of Northeast Region.

  The scheme aims to address the inter-generational problem of malnutrition by focusing on adolescent girls keeping in view the life cycle approach. The revised scheme aims at providing nutritional support to adolescent girls in the age group of 14 to 18 years in the identified areas of the country for improving their health and nutritional status. Under non nutrition component the scheme provides IFA supplementation, health check-up and referral service, nutrition & health education, skilling, etc.