Study of ICDS scheme in rural and tribal projects in Maharashtra

“What is done to children, they will do to society.” (Karl A. Menninger) Children constitute principle assets of any country. Children’s Development is as important as the development of material resources and the best way to develop national human resources is to take care of children. India has the largest child population in the world.1 The constitution of India has provision for their welfare. During successive five years plans, many programmes were launched by government for the welfare of children.These programmes were in the field of health, food and nutrition and education, etc. Programmes like applied nutrition and supplementary nutrition have turned out to be unidirectional and have failed to meet the expectations. No programme on Early Childhood Care and Education can succeed unless mothers are also brought within its ambit as it is in the lap of the mother that human beings learn the first lesson in life. “Under five clinics” were introduced along with maternal and child health and family welfare services. These services failed to take roots because of lack of doorstep approach and community participation .