The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) was launched in 1975 by Government of India. In Karnataka, the programme covered one project in 1975 (33 in the country) and currently has 185 projects with 40,031 centres in operations. The focus of ICDS is to improve the nutrition and health status of pre-school children (3-6 years), pregnant and nursing women below poverty line.
The single window delivery package of ICDS is Anganwadi center, which is managed by an Anganwadi worker with her helper. UNICEF, besides providing appropriate interventions in the implementation of ICDS activities has commissioned a number of social assessment studies in some states of India, to identify the areas of improvement. IIMB conducted UNICEF funded study of Social Assessment of ICDS in Karnataka during 2003-05. This paper is the analytical summary of the empirical study carried out in the four districts of Karnataka.