- (1.) With the assistance of learned counsel, we have perused various documents including Report No. 1 of 2000 prepared by CAG and a working paper on Health, Nutrition and Family Welfare Programme Review of Progress during the Ninth Plan period by the Planning Commission, Government of India (February 2001). It is evident that the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is perhaps the largest of all the food supplementation programmes in the world, was initiated in the year 1975 with the following objectives as per the aforesaid document prepared by the Planning Commission: (i) To improve the health and nutrition status of children of 0-6 years by providing supplementary food and by coordinating with State Health Departments to ensure delivery of required health inputs. (ii) To provide conditions necessary for pre-school children's psychological and social development through early stimulation and education. (iii) To provide pregnant and lactating women with food supplements. (iv) To enhance the mother's ability to provide proper child care through health and nutrition education. (v) To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation among the various departments to promote child development.
(2.) From the facts and figures given in the documents it appears that despite the fact that for the development of children, in particular, malnourished and under nourished children, the Scheme is elaborate and intends to cover all the children under the age group of 0-6 years but it appears that a lot more deserves to be done in this field to ensure that nutritious food reaches to those who are under nourished or malnourished or others covered under the Scheme.
(3.) The food is supplied to children through Anganwadi Centres (AWCS). In all, there are 6 lakh centres. The norms of the Government of India provide for one centre for the population of 1000 (700 in case of tribal area). According to the petitioner, going by the said norms there should be 14 lakh AWCS. It appears that according to the calculation of the Government of India AWCS would be 12 lakhs. We direct the Government of India to file within 3 months an affidavit stating the period within which it proposes to increase the number of AWCS so as to cover the 14 lakh habitations. We notice that the norm for supply of nutritious food worth rupee one for every child was fixed in the year 1991. The Government of India should consider the revision of the norm of rupee one and incorporate their suggestion in the affidavit.;