Realizing the great importance of bringing improvement in children and women’s health and nutritional status, Integrated Child Development Services (ICSD) Scheme was launched on 2nd October 1975. The objective of present study is to evaluate the community participation in ICDS programme in Punjab and Rajasthan Sates of India. In order to achieve the objective of the present study, a total 80 Village Sarpanches comprising 40 Village Sarpanches from Punjab and 80 Village Sarpanches from Rajasthan

selected for this study. It was found that near half 47.50% of the village Sarpanches in Punjab and half 50% of the Sarpanches in Rajasthan did not make any contribution to the AWWs due to various petty reasons like AWWs did not ask them for help, lack of time of Sarpanches and they did not know in what way they could contribute to the different activities of AWCs. It was extremely disappointing to find that a majority 57.50% of the village Sarpanches in Punjab and 60% of the Sarpanches in Rajasthan did not make any visit at all to the AWCs. A high majority 97.50% village Sarpanches in Punjab and all sarpanches in Rajasthan answered that they did not form any local committee to help the AWWs to conduct different activities and again a high majority 97.50% village Sarpanches in Punjab and 92.50% of the Sarpanches in Rajasthan admitted that there was no organization like youth club or village school teachers or voluntary organizations at the village level to help the AWWs.

Highlights

• A majority 57.50% of the village Sarpanches in Punjab and 60% of the Sarpanches in Rajasthan did not make any visit at the AWCs which is very serious matter.
• A high majority 97.50% village Sarpanches in Punjab and all sarpanches in Rajasthan did not form any local committee to help the AWWs to conduct different ICDS activities.