ICDS III baseline / ICDS II endline survey 2000 - 2002 Source : ICDS III baseline / ICDS II

In addition to these mismatches, the programme faces substantial operational challenges. Inadequate worker skills, shortage of equipment, poor supervision and weak monitoring and evaluation detract from the programme’s potential impact. Anganwadi workers are overburdened because they are expected to provide pre-school education to fourto six-year-olds as well as nutrition services to all children under six. Consequently most children under three and most of their parents are not reached for counselling regarding better feeding and childcare practices. However, examples of successful interventions (Bellary district in Karnataka) and innovations/ variations in ICDS from several states (the Integrated Nutrition and Health Project – INHP II – in nine states, the Dular scheme in Bihar and the Tamil Nadu Integrated Nutrition Project – TINP – in Tamil Nadu) suggest that ICDS has potential for better implementation and achieve greater impact on nutritional status of children.