**Policy Summary: Upgrading Anganwadi Centres under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0**
As of July 21, 2025, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has upgraded 57,897 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) into Saksham Anganwadi Centres. This initiative falls under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at strengthening and upgrading 200,000 selected AWCs (40,000 annually, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission) to improve nutrition delivery and early childhood care and education.
The upgrades focus on providing better infrastructure, including internet/Wi-Fi connectivity, LED screens, water purifier/RO machine installations, smart learning aids, audiovisual aids, child-friendly learning equipment, educational artwork, practice boards, information boards, and wall paintings. These improvements are designed to stimulate the creative, social, emotional, cognitive, and intellectual development of children under 6 years of age, in convergence with existing education development programs.
Currently, there are 1,398,439 operational AWCs in the country, with 357,835 operating from rented buildings. The central government is responsible for policy and planning, while state governments/UT Administrations are responsible for day-to-day program implementation, including filling staff vacancies. The central government regularly reviews the program's progress through video conferencing and physical meetings with state governments/UT Administrations.
The information was provided by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Savitri Thakur, in Lok Sabha.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Women and Child Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for policies and programs related to women and children.
Saksham Anganwadi Centres: Upgraded Anganwadi Centres with improved infrastructure and resources for early childhood care and education.
Anganwadi Centres: A type of rural child care centre in India, a part of the Integrated Child Development Services program.
15th Finance Commission: The fifteenth Finance Commission of India, which recommended strengthening and upgrading Anganwadi Centres.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: A centrally sponsored scheme by the Indian government for improved nutrition delivery and early childhood care and education through Anganwadi Centres.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
Smt. Savitri Thakur: Minister of State for Women and Child Development.
Delhi: National capital of India.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
More than 57,000 Anganwadi Centres upgraded into
Saksham Anganwadi Centres
Posted On: 25 JUL 2025 5:38PM by PIB Delhi
There are 13,98,439 operational Anganwadi centres (AWCs) in the country. Out of this, 3,57,835
th
Anganwadi centers are functioning in rented buildings. In the 15 Finance Commission, 2 lakh
selected AWCs (40,000 AWCs per year) are to be strengthened and upgraded under Mission
Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 for improved nutrition delivery by providing better
infrastructure including internet/wifi connectivity, LED screens, water purifier/installation of RO
Machine and Early Childhood Care and Education with smart learning aids, audio-visual aids and
child-friendly learning equipments, art Work (Educational painting, practice board for children,
information board), wall painting etc. for stimulating the creative, social, emotional, cognitive and
intellectual development of children under 6 years of age in convergence with education
development programmes. All the 2,00,000 Anganwadi Centres have been approved for
upgradation to Saksham Anganwadi Centres and as on 21.07.2025, 57,897 Anganwadi Centres
have already been upgraded as Saksham Anganwadi Centres. Central government regularly
reviews the same through Video conferencing and physical meetings with State Governments/UT
Administration.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored scheme. The Central
Government is responsible for policy and planning and the State Governments are responsible for
day-to-day program implementation including filling up staff vacancies.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri
Thakur in Lok Sabha in reply to a question today.
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SS/MS
(Release ID: 2148449)