ICDS Division:-
MISSION SAKSHAM ANGANWADI
In Sikkim, ICDS was started in the year 1975-76 with one Project covering West and South Districts with 150 Anganwadi, today the projects is expanded to 13 with 1308 Anganwadi centres.
The larger part of expansions (More than 60%) has taken place post 2005 which is a clear indication of commitment of State Government towards its children- the future.
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme is a centrally sponsored scheme with 90:10 sharing basis. This programme provides basic service for improved child care, early stimulation and learning, health & nutrition, water and environmental sanitation, targeting young children, expectant and nursing mothers, women’s and adolescent girl’s groups. They are reached through trained community based Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi helpers, who are local ladies selected as honorary workers, supportive community structures/women’s group through the Anganwadi centres and health system.
District wise number of Anganwadi Centre (AWC) in the State 

Sl. No	NAME OF DISTRICT	NAME OF ICDS PROJECT	NO. OF ANGANWADI CENTRES	RURAL/ URBAN/TRIBAL/ COASTAL/HILLY
1.	Gyalshing	Gyalshing	162	Rural
2.	Soreng	Soreng	154	Rural
3.	Namchi	Namchi	144	Rural
		Ravang	117	Rural
		Jorethang	71	Rural
4.	Gangtok	Rabdang Rural	85	Rural
		Gangtok Urban	89	Urban
		Gangtok Rural	84	Rural
5.	Pakyong	Pakyong	118	Rural
		Rongli	94	Rural
6.	Mangan	Mangan	80	Tribal
		Chungthang	53	Tribal
		Dzongu	57	Tribal
	Total		1308

OBJECTIVES OF ICDS
1.To improve the nutritional status and health status of children below the age of 6 years.
2.To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.
3.To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropouts.
4.To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation among various Government Departments to promote child development.
5.To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper health and nutritional education.


PACKAGE OF SERVICES UNDER ICDS:

SERVICES

Supplementary feeding

Immunization

Health Check Up

Referral Services

Non formal Pre-School Education

Health & Nutrition Education

            
In order to meet the objectives of the scheme, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 6 years are provided with supplementary food such as –
1. Poustik Aahar (Take Home Ration)
2. Energy Dense Food (Take Home Ration)
3. Khicheri (Hot Cooked Meal)
4. Special Supplementary Food (Take Home Ration)


SCHEME FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS (SAG) (90:10)
The Scheme for Adolescent Girls has been revised under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and the target beneficiaries have been revised to Adolescent Girls in the age group of 14+ to 18 years in Aspirational Districts of States and North Eastern States instead of out of school girls in the age group of 11 – 14 years, as in the earlier Scheme.
Objectives of the Scheme: the revised scheme will 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 for improving their health and nutritional status under the nutrition component and providing them IFA supplementation, Health Check-up, Referral Services, Nutrition and Health Education and Skilling etc. under non-nutrition component of the scheme. The Scheme is implemented using the platform of Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) under Anganwadi Service Scheme [ICDS]. Government of India provides 90 % assistance for implementation of the scheme.
Adolescent girls are provided with millet multi grain cookies to supplement 349.33 Kcal and   14.93 grams of protein.   A total of 7583 beneficiaries are covered under the scheme.


POSHAN ABHIYAAN
Introduction:

• POSHAN Abhiyaan is a flagship programme of Ministry of Women and Child Development improve maternal and child nurtirion outcomes. It aims  to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight.
• The scheme was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 8th of March 2018 at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.
• The programme strives to address malnutrition holistically with the use of technology, a targeted approach and convergence. The scheme also calls for action generating social movement towards a malnutrition free India.

Goals and target of POSHAN Abhiyaan:

• The goals of the POSHAN Abhiyaan are to achieve improvement in the nutritional status of children 0 – 6 years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers in a time bound manner with fixed targets as under:

Sl No	Objective	Target
1.	Prevent and reduce stunting in children (0 – 6 years)	By 6% @ 2% p.a
2.	Prevent and reduce under nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years)	By 6% @ 2% p.a
3.	Reduce the prevalence of anaemia among young children (6 – 59 months)	By 9% @ 3% p.a
4.	Reduce the prevalence of anaemia among women and adolescent girls in the age group of 15 – 49 years	By 9% @ 3% p.a
5.	Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW)	By 6% @ 2% p.a

The achievement under Poshan Abhiyan:

INDICATORS	NFHS-5	POSHAN TRACKER (AS ON 04.07.2024)
Stunting in children (0-6 years)	22.3	12.5
Wasting in children (0-6 years)	13.7	2.59
Under nutrition (underweight prevelance) in children (0-6 years)	13.1	2.36
Anaemia among young children (6-49 months)	56.4	Not available
Early initiation of breastfeeding (children under 3 years breastfeed within an hour of birth)		Not available
Exclusive breastfeeding (children under the age of 6 months)	33.00	Not available
Initiation of appropriate complementary feeding	57.4	Not available

The importance of innovation and the need for replication of Best Practices is a key strategy for addressing the challenge of malnutrition.


BEST PRACTICES/INNOVATIVE STATE STRATEGIES   UNDER POSHAN ABHIYAAN
a. Poshan  Vatika  has been set up throughout the State as a part of Poshan ecosystem.
b. Jan Andolan Activities conducted all over the State on various topics for changing mindsets and behavior change.
c. Safety,macro and micro nutrient composition through quarterly testing Take Home Ration (THR)under  Supplementary Nutrition Programme.
d. Registration of beneficiaries drive including migrant and marginalized communities.
f. Extra home visits for those not regularly availing AWC services.
g.Recipe book on traditional recipes for mother and children has been prepared .
h. Songs and videos have been developed in local language which can be seen in Facebook and YouTube page “Poshan Abhiyaan Sikkim”
i. Media campaign through various social media platforms for changing mindsets and behavior change.
j. 1308 AWWs and 58 Supervisors are provided with Smart phones for real time monitoring of service delivery.
k. Technology based monitoring through Poshan Tracker application for accurate uploading of data.
l. Anthropometric devices comprising of Stadiometer, Infantometer, Bathroom scale and Salter scale are provided in 1308 functional AWCs
m. Intervention is being carried out to add millets in Take home ration and hot cooked meal to beneficiaries of AWCs.
n. Poshan Vatika or Nutri Gardens has been set up throughout the State as a part of Poshan ecosystem.
o. POSHAN Maah and POSHAN Pakhwada is celebrated in the month of September  and March every year to further accelerate the various activities like Community Based Events [CBE], and other activities related to Nutrition and Health under POSHAN Abhiyaan and to create a “JAN ANDOLAN” in the process.
p. All the stakeholders of the community will be encouraged for Jan Bhagidari and will be ensured that POSHAN Abhiyaan reaches every household in the State. Millet Day observed in all 1308 AWCs to commemorate International Year of Millets 2023.