What this scheme offers
Malnutrition and poor early-childhood development don't announce themselves with a single dramatic event — they accumulate quietly, over the thousands of days before a child turns six, in ways that are genuinely hard to reverse later. ICDS is built around that window specifically: supplementary nutrition, routine health check-ups, immunisation referrals and pre-school learning activities for children under 6, delivered through a genuinely enormous physical network — over 1.3 million Anganwadi Centres, reaching into villages and urban slums alike, each typically staffed by a local Anganwadi worker and helper who know the families in their beat. Pregnant and lactating mothers are covered too, since a malnourished mother and a malnourished infant are rarely separate problems. This is one of the oldest and largest programmes of its kind anywhere in the world, running continuously since 1975, now folded under the broader Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 umbrella.
Who is eligible
- Children aged 0-6 years, any family, no income restriction.
- Pregnant women and lactating mothers up to 6 months after delivery.
- Adolescent girls aged 11-14 (out-of-school) in many districts, under the linked Scheme for Adolescent Girls.
Documents required
- Aadhaar card (child and mother)
- Birth certificate (for registration)
- Pregnancy registration record, for expecting mothers
How to apply
- Locate your nearest Anganwadi Centre — ask at your local Panchayat or municipal ward office if you're unsure which one serves your area.
- Register your child (or yourself, if pregnant/lactating) directly with the Anganwadi worker; no separate application form or portal is typically needed.
- Attend the centre regularly for supplementary nutrition (take-home ration or on-site meals, depending on age and local arrangement), growth monitoring, and pre-school activities.
- Health check-ups and immunisation referrals are coordinated with your nearest Primary Health Centre through the Anganwadi worker.
- If a centre isn't functioning in your area, raise it with your Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) at the block level.