ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) program was launched in the year;

Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Explanation

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program was launched on October 2, 1975.
It is a flagship program of the Government of India, initiated in pursuance of the National Policy for Children.
The program is one of the world's largest for early childhood care and development, administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Its primary objectives are to combat child hunger and malnutrition and to improve the health and developmental outcomes for children under six, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.

Option B: This is an incorrect year. While the ICDS program was expanding during the 1980s, its initial launch was in 1975.
Option C: This is incorrect. 1992 is associated with the launch of the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood (CSSM) Program in India, not ICDS.
Option D: This is incorrect. The Pulse Polio Immunization program was launched in India in 1995.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Launch year of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Community health nurses are integral to the ICDS scheme. They conduct health check-ups, immunizations, and provide health/nutrition education at Anganwadi centers.
Familiarity with the ICDS framework helps nurses identify at-risk children and mothers, ensuring they receive timely and appropriate services through the Anganwadi network.
What if? If a nurse identifies a severely malnourished child (e.g., Grade III or IV) in a community, the immediate action is to refer them to a Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) or Primary Health Centre (PHC) for specialized care, rather than just relying on the standard supplementary nutrition provided at the Anganwadi.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question about a major national health program in India.
Identify the core subject of the question: The launch year of the ICDS program.
Scan the options provided, which are all specific years.
Access your knowledge base on Indian public health history and major government schemes.
A key memory aid is to associate the ICDS program with the mid-1970s, which directly points to 1975 as the correct answer.
Eliminate other years by associating them with different health programs (e.g., 1992 with CSSM, 1995 with Pulse Polio).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Launch year of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program.
Stem keywords: ICDS, Integrated Child Development Services, launched, year
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 textbook of Applied Biochemistry and Nutrition & DieteticsHarbans Lal (pp 26-464 of 479) p. 427-429