Scope of the Integrated Child Development Scheme in Ensuring Holistic Development of the Child

摘要

Dear Editor-in-Chief: The Government of India launched Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) in the year 1975 to prevent malnutrition in children, reduce infant mortality rate, and empower the mothers to ensure holistic development of the child (1). Currently, the ICDS scheme symbolizes one of the most extensive and the unique initiative for safeguarding early childhood development, catering to more than 100 million under-six year children under the different provisions available in the scheme (2). In other words, ICDS reflects the country's obligation to enhance the pre-school education rates and an effective strategy to break the vicious cycle of malnutrition, infection and mortality (3).