The government of Kerala has sanctioned ₹9 crore for the conversion of conventional anganwadis into “smart” anganwadis with better amenities.
Smart Anganwadi Scheme
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Under this scheme, the Department of Women and Child Development has granted 48 anganwadis of the states to construct its new buildings.
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The smart anganwadis will be built in order to provide early childhood care in a phased manner.
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These facilities will be established with the aim of make it more child-friendly. This way these facilities will help to nurture mental and physical development of children.
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To construct 48 anganwadis, a total of nine crore rupees has been sanctioned.
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The local bodies will also share ₹74 crore for the construction of the smart structures.
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The smart anganwadis are being designed and constructed under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).
Background
The government had decided to construct the unified model for the anganwadis in the state from April, 2019.
Anganwadi scheme
It is a type of rural child care centre that was started in the year 1975 by the Indian government. This scheme runs under the Integrated Child Development Services program. It seeks to combat the child hunger and malnutrition. These centres work in villages where they provide basic health care under the Indian public health care system. The basic health care activities are nutrition education, contraceptive counselling & supply. These centres are also involved in the preschool activities.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
It is a government program that provides food, primary healthcare, preschool education, health check-up, immunization, and referral services of the children aged under 6. The ICDS was launched in 1975. During 1978 it was discontinued but the scheme was again launched by the Tenth Five Year Plan. The Tenth five-year plan linked ICDS scheme to Anganwadi centres.