ICDS to be revamped to Mission Mode: Renuka
New Delhi, Jan 30 (UNI) Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury today admitted lacunae in the implementation of Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) and said it would be made mission mode to bring accountability.
Addressing the Eigth Editors Conference on Social Sector Issues here, Ms Chowdhury said the Centre would bring the ICDS under mission mode just like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan to ensure accountability, accessibility, affordability and availability of the services like immunization and nutrition under it.
She said it has also been decided to provide Anganwadi to the State on demand, as nutritional support to the children and women are on very high priority in the agenda of the government. The states have been requested to set up special monitoring cell and provide the feedback to the central ministry so that corrective steps could be taken immediately for the effective implementation of the ICDS.
Ms Chowdhury said the ministry would recommend increasing the maternity leave for women from the existing three months to six months as it would play a crucial role in reducing infant mortality and morbity. About paternity leave, she said the government would think about it if men start participating in the child care programmes.
The ministry would also suggest regulating advertisements to reduce their harmful impact on children and make a positive contribution. A committee, of which the women and child development ministry is also a member, would recommend the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to regulate advertisements and animation films promoting violence and instead use positive information about healthy lifestyle.
Stating
that
the
ministry
was
planning
to
revisit
the
Dowry
Act
in
view
of
the
complaints,
Ms
Chowdhury
however
wondered
why
so
much
hue
and
cry
was
being
made
about
this
and
domestic
violence
act
when
other
laws
were
also
being
misused.
She
said
dowry
prevention
law
and
the
domestic
violence
act
have
saved
lives
of
many
women
and
provide
them
protection
from
atrocities.
She
said
that
she
would
hold
meeting
with
men
to
find
out
psyche
behind
domestic
violence
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