Latest news with #IntegratedChildDevelopmentServices
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Experts for action to boost preschool edu in rural areas
Lucknow: Preschool education in rural areas is still an emerging concept, and it needs a collaborative action to bolster early childhood education (ECE) in the state. This was stated by principal secretary, women and child development, Leena Johri during a collaborative roundtable, 'Early Foundations, Bright Futures,' convened in Lucknow. "While infrastructure is important, real transformation lies in building child-friendly environments that spark curiosity, foster trust among parents, and make anganwadis welcoming, joyful spaces," Johri said. Organised by Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Sesame Workshop India Trust (SWI), and Marico Limited, the event deliberated on the importance of scalable and inclusive early learning models aligned with NEP 2020 and NCF 2022. Amit Bhasin of Marico Limited stressed the company's commitment to societal value through education, aiming to create a future-ready learning ecosystem. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Mizoram: Lunglei's maternal, child health initiative earns national recognition
Aizawl, Mizoram's Lunglei district administration has earned national recognition for its flagship maternal and child health initiative, Project Bloom, officials said on Friday. Mizoram: Lunglei's maternal, child health initiative earns national recognition Under the theme "Transforming Health: Breakthrough Interventions", Lunglei Deputy Commissioner Navneet Mann presented 'Project Bloom ' as one of the 19 selected best practices at a programme in New Delhi on Thursday. The 'Best Practices Seminar', organised by NITI Aayog, celebrated successful interventions from 329 aspirational districts and 500 aspirational blocks across the country, the officials said. Launched on June 17 this year, the scheme addresses maternal and child health challenges in the Lungsen aspirational block in Lunglei, they said. The region, with its difficult terrain, high logistical costs, limited internet access and awareness gaps, had long been struggling with low health indicators, they said. The programme aims to close these gaps through a community-driven, convergence-based approach that integrates health, nutrition, transport and behaviour change, they said. "Under this project, an on-call transport service, prioritising high-risk pregnancies and ensuring referrals to the district hospital, was undertaken, and 12 temporary homestays near delivery points, hosted by villagers, were set up to offer accommodation and support until delivery," an official said. House-to-house surveys were conducted to identify pregnant women and malnourished children, he said. Incentives were given to promote early antenatal care registration and institutional deliveries, including nutrition and hygiene kits, another official said. Other key interventions of the project were immunisation drives with a focus on reaching villages, high-risk pregnancy tracking, capacity-building for accredited social health activists , Aanganwadi and health workers. According to the officials, the project has brought about a significant transformation in the maternal and child health sector in Lungsen block. They said that institutional deliveries increased from 14.73 per cent in March 2023 to 43.14 per cent in March 2025, and surged to 72.2 per cent by June–July 2025, crossing the 70 per cent mark for the first time. Early ANC registration improved from 50.6 per cent in March 2023 to 70 per cent in July this year, they said. Pregnant women receiving supplementary nutrition under the Integrated Child Development Services rose from 11.3 per cent in March 2023 to 81.9 per cent in July 2025, the officials said. Children receiving supplementary nutrition increased from 6.16 per cent to 75 per cent during the same period, they said. Vaccination achievement climbed from 63.8 per cent in June–July 2023 to 88.9 per cent in June–July this year. Lungsen is one of the four rural development blocks in south Mizoram's Lunglei district covering an area of 424.04 sq. km. It has a population of 18,637, with three communities—Mizo, Chakma, and Bru—living peacefully. The block comprises 24 village councils and 3,903 households. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Obscene video calls giving sleepless nights to 60 women for 10 days
Surat: As night falls, anxiety grips dozens of women working at anganwadis (day-care centres) in Bharuch district. For the past 10 days, nearly 60 women received obscene video calls featuring pornographic content. These relentless calls left them sleepless and mentally exhausted, and the harassment began to strain their family relationships, creating friction and mistrust at home. The women targeted work in anganwadis of Bharuch, Netrang, and Jhagadiya, and the call is made from the same number. Primary investigation by the Bharuch Cybercrime police revealed that the number is registered in Punjab. Unable to bear the harassment any longer, a group of anganwadi workers approached the police on Thursday, prompting officials to begin the process of lodging a formal complaint. Ragini Parmar, state vice-president of the Gujarat Anganwadi Karmachari Sangathan, said that nearly 60 female workers received obscene video calls over the past 10 days. "We were provided mobile phones and SIM cards under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. Although we no longer use the phones, many of us continue using the SIM cards in our personal mobiles. These are the numbers on which our workers are receiving explicit video calls, mostly around midnight—and usually from the same number," she said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The real cost of a new gutter system? It may surprise you! LeafFilter Gutter Protection Get Rates Undo "The women are living in constant fear. We've urged the police to identify and arrest the culprit at the earliest so that this harassment can finally stop," Parmar added. Preliminary investigations indicate that the calls are being made from Punjab. "We have initiated the process of obtaining the Subscriber Details Record (SDR) from the concerned mobile service provider," said Bharuch Cyber Crime Police Inspector V.R. Bharwad. "We have assured the women that we will apprehend the person or persons responsible. We expect to receive the SDR details today." According to police, several women already blocked the number, which was also circulating in multiple anganwadi WhatsApp groups. "We have scanned various platforms to check whether the number is active on social media or other digital forums, but it hasn't been flagged anywhere. The caller is dialling one woman after another. We are also exploring whether someone known to the victims could be involved," said another investigating officer. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
MP urges Centre to improve infrastructure of Anganwadi centres in Sikkim
Gangtok, Aug 7 (PTI) Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba has urged the Centre for immediate steps to improve the infrastructure of Anganwadi centres (AWCs) in rural, tribal and high altitude regions of the Himalayan state. A statement from the MP's office said on Thursday that Subba, in a representation to Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitra Thakur, has underscored the pivotal role Anganwadi Centres play under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme—delivering early childhood education, nutrition, and maternal health support. However, he said, many AWCs across the country, especially in geographically challenging areas like Sikkim, continue to function from temporary or substandard structures that lack essential facilities such as child-friendly classrooms, safe kitchens, functional toilets, and secure boundary walls. The lone Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim expressed concern over the inadequacy of the current unit cost norms for AWC construction. He said that the existing budget allocations are insufficient to build durable, climate-resilient structures in hilly terrains due to significantly higher construction and transportation costs and limited working seasons. Subba emphasised the urgent need to revise unit cost norms to enable quality infrastructure development that meets the needs of children and Anganwadi workers, the statement said. The MP has urged for increasing unit cost allocations for construction in hilly and Himalayan states like Sikkim to reflect cost inflation and address logistical difficulties. He also asked for prioritising permanent infrastructure in rural and remote areas where AWCs still operate in makeshift or rented facilities and design flexibility to accommodate local geo-climatic conditions and include child-centric, weather-insulated infrastructure. PTI COR RG view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Promote breastfeeding culture, urges ICDS Project Director Vijaya
Kurnool: As part of World Breastfeeding Week celebrations, an awareness programme was organised on Tuesday at Anganwadi Centre-3, Bapuji Nagar, located in KVR Gardens, Kurnool. The event focused on creating a supportive environment for breastfeeding and highlighted the crucial role of family members in encouraging this practice. Mothers were felicitated, and participants collectively pledged to promote and practice exclusive breastfeeding. Speaking on the occasion, ICDS Project Director P Vijaya stated that the State government, through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), is providing nutritious food to pregnant and lactating women to ensure maternal and child well-being. She stated that regular consumption of this supplementary nutrition can help prevent anemia and other health issues in both mothers and children. She also underlined that mother's milk is equivalent to nectar for newborns and recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by appropriate complementary feeding. She further urged family members, particularly husbands and in-laws, to provide emotional and practical support to lactating mothers by ensuring nutritious meals and adequate rest. The event concluded with the felicitation of two healthy lactating mothers with flowers and fruits. Among those present were CDPO Anuradha, EO Rajeswari, Supervisor Varalakshmi, Anganwadi workers, helpers, and a large number of women beneficiaries.
