INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (ICDS) In Jammu & Kashmir

Since Independence, the Government of India has launched a number of Central Schemes, Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and Community/Area Development Programmes in the areas of health & family welfare, education, employment & poverty eradication, agriculture, women & child development, sanitation, housing, safe drinking water, irrigation, transport, tribal development, border area development, social welfare, etc. both in rural and urban areas of the Country, including Jammu & Kashmir. The State of Jammu and Kashmir is situated between 320 17' N and 37° 6' N latitude, and 73° 26' E and 80° 30' E longitude on the northern extremity of India. It occupies a position of strategic importance with its borders touching the neighboring countries of Afghanistan in the north-west, Pakistan in the west and China and Tibet in the north-east. To its south lie Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the two other states of India. Female population of J&K State slashed down from 47.15% of the total population in 2001 to 46.88% (prov.) in 2011. As per details from Census 2011, Jammu and Kashmir has population of 1.25 Crore souls over the figure of 1.01 Crore in 2001 census. Total population of Jammu and Kashmir as per 2011 census is 12,548,926 of which male and female are 6,665,561 and 5,883,365 respectively indicating a reduced sex ratio of 883. The corresponding figures of male and female as per Census 2001 were 5,360,926 and 4,782,774 respectively indicating sex ratio of 892. Finally the researcher concludes, all vacant positions of the CDPOs and ACDPOs should be filled up at the earliest so that the scheme does not suffer any more. This will help in proper planning, implementation, supervision and monitoring of the scheme. All the departments must regularly coordinate and meet the expectations from each other department. All vacant positions of the Supervisors should be filled up at the earliest so that supervision and monitoring is strengthened both in the urban and rural areas. The Panchayats should be made functional in areas where these are non-functional. Further, Panchayats should be involved in planning, monitoring and supervision of the AWCs.