LAUNCHING year-long programmes including struggles on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, the All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers (AIFAWH) demanded institutionalisation of the ICDS, law for ensuring Right to ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) with anganwadi centres as nodal agencies and regularisation of workers and helpers with minimum wages and pension.

On October 2, 2024, on the occasion of the 49th foundation day of ICDS scheme, an All India Convention “Anganwadi@50 -- Challenges, Possibilities and Way Forward” was organised under the aegis of AIFAWH at BTR Bhawan, New Delhi. Inaugurating the convention, CITU general secretary Tapan Sen said, now the time has come to intensify the struggle to make this scheme permanent. ICDS Scheme itself is a product of the struggles by the people for better basic services, he reminded. The trade union movement has to take the lead in bringing various sections of the people together to save this crucial scheme, he said.

Sanjay Kaul, former IAS and chairman of the Task Force constituted by the WCD ministry on ECCE delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the necessity to strengthen ICDS in a rights based approach with proper infrastructure and necessary training. He supported the demand for legal entitlements for ECCE and recommended opening more anganwadi centers and anganwadi-cum-creches in urban areas so that the women’s childcare needs are taken care of.

Speaking in the session ‘Challenges and Possibilities’, Dr Vandana Prasad from Jan Swasthya Abhiyan spoke on the need for better public health facilities and good quality nutrition in anganwadi centres. She emphasized need for maternity care and said that only the people’s movements can ensure that the government provides the basic services to all.

Dr Dipa Sinha, of Right to Food Campaign said that there is actual reduction of 40 per cent in the amount for ICDS budget as it has not been increased for last four years. She emphasized the need for recognition of care work as work and pay statutory minimum wages etc to the workers and helpers.

Sumitra Mishra of National FORCES shared her experience on childcare models and cautioned that recently many in the government have been projecting the PPP model for childcare. She put forward important views on the necessity of a holistic approach to develop model and viable anganwadi cum creches.

In the second session on ‘Anganwadi@50, the way forward’ A R Sindhu, AIFAWH general secretary placed the declaration on demands, yearlong campaign and plan of action.

The convention demanded that the Government of India:

• Enact a legislation to ensure Right to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children under six and right to maternity benefit for all women with anganwadi centres as nodal agencies. Withdraw NEP. No linking of ECCE to formal education system
• Take urgent measures to eradicate the biggest challenge faced by our country, of malnutrition and hunger, especially among the children in a time bound manner
• Institutionalise ICDS (Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) under ECCE law as anganwadi cum creches taking care of local needs with proper infrastructure and necessary human resource
• Take immediate measurers to implement the recommendations of the 45th and 46th Indian Labour Conferences and provide them minimum wages of Rs 26,000 per month, pension at Rs 10,000 per month and all other social security measures including PF and ESI.  
• Immediately implement the Supreme Court order on gratuity to anganwadi workers and helpers and improve their wages and other working conditions
• Withdraw all measurers weakening the ICDS like direct cash transfer to the beneficiaries, mandatory linking of Aadhaar for benefits of schemes, targeting and surveillance in the name of digitisation of schemes, privatisation by introduction of centralised kitchen etc.

The declaration emphasized the importance of mobilising various sections of the people for the demands of right to food/nutrition, health and education and have institutional framework for public provisioning. The session was addressed by national leaders of class and mass movements - P Krishnaprasad, finance secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, Mariam Dhawale, general secretary of AIDWA, B Venkat general secretary of All India Agricultural Workers’ Union and Aishe Ghosh, secretariat member of SFI. All the leaders supported the demand for legal rights for ECCE and maternity benefit to all and expressed solidarity with, and support to, the AIFAWH's programme of action.

Leaders of anganwadi unions from the states narrated the experiences of policy attacks and the struggles to strengthen ICDS. The convention adopted yearlong plan of action for the golden jubilee of ICDS.

AIFAWH will organise conventions, seminars, meetings etc in all states on the issue of legal framework for ICDS.  It will take up massive campaign among the people on the demands and will organise signature campaign to collect two crore signatures. AIFAWH will organise district level mobilisations on November 14, 2024, Children’s Day to press for these demands and give memorandum to the minister, WCD. In the next budget session, AIFAWH will organise march to parliament of 5000 red volunteers to submit the signatures on the demands. The yearlong campaign will culminate in massive multiple day strike action.

The convention called upon the anganwadi workers and helpers to take initiative to mobilise all sections of the people and build a mass movement on the rights of the children as well as for the rights of the anganwadi workers and helpers. 

Anganwadi union leaders from 14 states attended the convention. Veena Gupta, vice president welcomed the guests and delegates. The convention was presided over by Usha Rani, president AIFAWH.