To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the 0–6 age group.
To lay the foundation for the proper psychological, physical, and social development of the child.
To reduce child mortality, malnutrition, and school dropout rates.
To establish effective coordination in policy and implementation among various departments to promote child development.
To enhance the mother's capacity to care for the general health and nutritional needs of her child through proper nutrition and health education.
To improve the nutritional and health status of pregnant women and adolescent girls.
The Anganwadi Services Scheme (ICDS Scheme), sponsored by the Government of India, is a unique primary social welfare program in India designed to address malnutrition and health issues among children under the age of 6, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. Since its inception in 1975, the Anganwadi Services Scheme (ICDS Scheme) has significantly expanded its scope. To facilitate the holistic development and welfare of children within the state, a dedicated department—the Department of Child Development Services and Nutrition (Bal Vikas Seva Evam Pushtahar Vibhag)—has been operational since 1988 to manage the Anganwadi Services Scheme. The scheme was universalized in the year 2008–09 and is currently being implemented across all 75 districts of the state through 897 Child Development Projects and 189,789 Anganwadi Centers.
This scheme primarily focuses on reducing infant and child mortality rates and improving maternal health outcomes. Given that malnutrition is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations, the Department of Child Development Services and Nutrition in the state is actively working towards realizing the nutrition-related Sustainable Development Goals. Under the ICDS, Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) have been developed to serve as local contact points for addressing the nutritional and health-related issues of children, adolescent girls, and pregnant/lactating women. Through the Department of Child Development Services and Nutrition—the world's largest, most unique, and extensive outreach program—beneficiaries are being provided with supplementary nutrition, immunization, growth monitoring, health check-ups and referral services, and pre-school non-formal education.
