International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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Strengthening ICDS as an Economic Investment: Comparative Evidence from Urban and Rural Anganwadi Centres in Purba Medinipur, West Bengal

Author(s) Ms. Pranga Paramita Pradhan, Dr. Chandni Nath
Country India
Abstract The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, launched in 1975, remains India’s largest community-based initiative addressing malnutrition, child health, and early education. Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), its operational units, are vital for service delivery but face persistent capacity gaps across urban and rural settings. In the study Chi-square tests applied to examine infrastructure, utilities, and functional disparities between urban and rural AWCs and explores stakeholder perceptions regarding role performance and policy priorities. Findings indicate that urban AWCs outperform rural counterparts in infrastructural ownership (60% vs. 40%), access to electricity (100% vs. 80%), sanitation (100% vs. 80%), and teaching resources (70% vs. 50%). Both settings achieved full coverage in safe drinking water, and 80% maintained kitchen facilities. However, rural centres remain disadvantaged by weaker infrastructure, limited educational resources, and irregular electricity supply. These deficiencies directly affect child health, early learning, and service delivery efficiency. The study underscores the economic and social implications of capacity disparities, linking early childhood infrastructure to long-term human capital and national productivity. Policy recommendations include infrastructure missions for rural AWCs, decentralized fund management, renewable electrification, and workforce empowerment through digital and financial inclusion. Strengthening ICDS as an economic infrastructure investment rather than a welfare scheme can accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 3, 4, and 5 while yielding substantial macroeconomic returns through improved human capital formation.
Keywords ICDS, Anganwadi Centres, capacity enhancement, rural–urban disparity, infrastructure, early childhood development, policy perception, India.
Field Sociology > Economics
Published In Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2025
Published On 2025-10-31
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.59180
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