Sen released FOCUS, a report that highlights the startling contrasts in the effectiveness of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme — designed to meet the educational, health and nutritional needs of children under six through an anganwadi centre for 1000 families — within different states.

It adds to the findings of the recently released National Family Health Survey-3 data for 22 states, which has made the startling revelation that in the last eight years, there has been no change in child malnutrition levels, no progress on immunization and no decline in the incidence of anaemia.

“Few countries in the world have such poor indicators of child well-being,” says the report, which draws on a detailed survey of the ICDS programme in six states done between May-June 2004.

The coverage of ICDS has increased since 1975 when it was first conceived but barely one- fourth of children are covered under the supplementary nutrition programme till date. The government has no option but to universalise it now after the December 13 landmark judgment of the Supreme Court directing the government to universalise ICDS within two years. This translates into 14 lakh anganwadis by 2008. The court has asked chief secretaries of nine states about the status and issued show-cause notice for contempt of court to those of 15 others.

Accepting the order, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said it was clear that the ICDS needed to be substantially expanded and that existing financial allocations were inadequate to be able to provide for all children under six. The findings show that ICDS can make a big difference to the lives of children, provided that the programme receives the attention and support it deserves.

“ICDS thrives where it receives attention and care, adequate resources, regular training, proper facilities, monitoring and planning...creating these conditions is a matter of political choice,’’ said Jean Dreze, one of the authors of the report.

The survey was conducted in Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

“At one end of the spectrum, Tamil Nadu is doing very well...at the other, a day in the life of a typical anganwadi in Uttar Pradesh is little more than a brief ritual...between these two extremes, there are many shades of achievement and failure in different states,” the report said.

“Lack of physical infrastructure for anganwadis to run the ICDS and work overload to the anganwadi workers are major points of concern,” said Shantha Sinha, Magsaysay award winner.

Survey shows that 79 per cent of the anganwadi workers have been mobilised for non-ICDS duties during last six months and 60 per cent have not been paid for the last 30 days and a quarter of them do not receive any pre-service training.

Despite several gaps, the report draws attention to the enormous potential of the ICDS, which is well demonstrated by states like Tamil Nadu where the programme has become a political priority. It calls for “universalisation with quality and equity’’.