In which year was the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme launched in India?

RML PRE 2025

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: RML PRE 2025

Explanation

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme was officially launched on October 2, 1975.
It was initiated during the 5th Five-Year Plan to address the health, nutrition, and developmental needs of young children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
ICDS is a flagship program of the Government of India and is recognized as one of the world's largest integrated family and community welfare schemes.
The program provides a package of services including supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-ups, and pre-school education through a network of Anganwadi centers.

Option A: 1965 is an incorrect year for the launch of ICDS. While various nutrition programs existed, ICDS was not established at this time.
Option B: 1973 is not the launch year for the ICDS scheme.
Option C: By 1983, the ICDS scheme was already established and undergoing expansion after positive evaluations of its initial experimental phase.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Launch year and key features of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses in community health settings collaborate closely with Anganwadi workers to implement ICDS services, particularly immunization, health check-ups, growth monitoring, and health education.
A thorough understanding of the ICDS framework helps nurses identify at-risk children and mothers, ensuring timely referrals and interventions to prevent malnutrition and disease.
What if? If a nurse during a health check-up at an Anganwadi center identifies a child with signs of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), the priority action changes from routine monitoring to immediate referral to a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) for specialized care.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question asking for a specific date related to a major national program.
First, identify the key subject of the question, which is the 'Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme'.
Access your knowledge base on major Indian public health and social welfare programs and their timelines.
Recall the launch year of ICDS. A helpful memory aid is that it was started during the 5th Five-Year Plan (1974-1978).
Compare the recalled year with the given options and select the correct one.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Launch year and key features of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
Stem keywords: Integrated Child Development Services, ICDS, scheme, launched, India
Lead-in keywords: In which year
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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