Anganwadi Services — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
Policy Shift: Universalisation of ICDS	2005-06	The ICDS scheme, initially launched in a limited number of blocks, was universalised to cover all eligible habitations across the country. This expansion aimed to ensure that no child or mother in need was left out of the scheme's benefits.	Significantly increased the reach and coverage of Anganwadi Services, making it one of the largest public welfare programmes globally. It underscored the government's commitment to child development and maternal health as a national priority, though implementation challenges in remote areas persisted.
Statutory Backing: National Food Security Act, 2013	2013	The NFSA, 2013, legally entitled pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children (0-6 years) to supplementary nutrition through Anganwadi Centres. This transformed the provision of these services from a welfare programme into a legal right.	Strengthened the legal enforceability of Anganwadi's nutrition component, making it a statutory obligation for the state. It provided a legal recourse for beneficiaries and enhanced accountability in the delivery of supplementary nutrition, reinforcing the 'Right to Food' principle.
Programmatic Overhaul: Launch of Poshan Abhiyaan	2018	Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) was launched with the goal of reducing stunting, undernutrition, anaemia, and low birth weight. It integrated ICDS with a mission-mode approach, leveraging technology, convergence, and behavioural change communication.	Marked a paradigm shift towards a more targeted, outcome-oriented approach to nutrition. It introduced real-time monitoring through Poshan Tracker, incentivised AWWs for performance, and fostered greater inter-sectoral convergence, aiming for a significant reduction in malnutrition indicators.