providing a package of services is based primarily on the consideration that the overall impact
      will be much larger if the different services develop in an integrated manner as the efficacy of a
      particular service depends upon the support it receives from related services. These services are
      provided through 14 lakhs sanctioned Anganwadis spread across the country. Sections 4, 5, 6
      and 7 of the National Food Security Act are applicable to the ICDS as these Sections make a
      provision for providing nutritious food to the children including malnourished children and
      pregnant and lactating mothers. As per the provisions of the Act, the Rules for providing SNP
      under the ICDS were notified in 2017.
      Improving Anganwadi Infrastructure
           The Government is committed to repositioning the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) as a vibrant
      early childhood development centre to become the first village outpost for health, nutrition and
      early learning. Towards this end, several steps have been taken for improvement and
      strengthening of ICDS scheme covering programmatic, management and institutional areas.
      Supplementary Nutrition
           In pursuance of the provisions contained in the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013,
      the Ministry has notified the (under the Integrated Child Development Scheme Rules, 2017) in
      2017 to regulate the entitlement specified under provisions of said Act for every pregnant woman
      and lactating mother till 6 months after child birth, and every child in the age group of 6 months
      to 6 years (including those suffering from malnutrition) for 300 days in a year, as per the
      nutritional standards specified in Schedule II of the said Act. In case of non-supply of the entitled
      quantities of foodgrains or meals to entitled persons, such persons shall be entitled to receive
      such food security allowance from the concerned state government, within such time and manner
      as may be prescribed by the central government.
      ICDS System
           MWCD implementing International Development Association (IDA) assisted in 162 high
      burden districts of 8states inthe country covering 3.68 lakh Anganwadi Centres with the
      following project development objective: (i) to strengthen the Integrated Child Development
      Services (ICDS) policy framework, systems and capacities, and facilitate community
      engagement, to ensure greater focus on children under three years of age; (ii) to strengthen
      convergent actions for improved nutrition outcomes. One of the key activities in ICDS System’s
      Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP) is Information and Communication
      Technology enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of ICDS. It intends to leverage ICT to
      set up a real time monitoring system for improving the service delivery mechanism and ensuring
      better supervision of ICDS Scheme by deploying a mobile solution driven by a customized
      ICDS-Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) at the Anganwadi Centres in selected states.
      A memorandum of co-operation was signed with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to
      support the design, development and deployment of Common Application Software (CAS) to
      drive the IT enabled Real Time Monitoring of ICDS and Support System. Accordingly, a
      customised Common Application software (ICDS-CAS) has been developed.
      Scheme for Adolescent Girls
           Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) was introduced in 2010-11 and is operational in 205
      selected districts across the country. It aims at all-round on pilot basis development of adolescent