Parliament Question: Additional Incentive to AWWs and AWHs

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2232 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025 ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE TO AWWS AND AWHS 2232. MS. S JOTHIMANI: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether honorarium paid to Anganwadi workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) under the centrally sponsored scheme has been any revised during the last three years, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government has received demands or representations from Anganwadi unions and workers' associations seeking an increase in wages, pension benefits or regularization of services and if so, the action taken thereon; (c) the steps taken by the Government to improve the working conditions, job security and social security benefits of Anganwadi staff, including insurance coverage and maternity entitlements; (d) whether any States including Tamil Nadu have announced additional incentives or top-up payments to AWWs and AWHs and if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether the Government proposes to bring AWWs and AWHs under a structured pay scale or include them in the formal Government workforce framework and if so, the details and the timeline formulated in this regard? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD EVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR) (a) to (e) 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/UT Administrations are responsible for day-to-day program implementation. Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) are “honorary workers” from the local community who voluntarily come forwardto render their services in the area of child care and development to help the local community for which they are paid honorarium. Honorarium is given to AWWs and AWHs which is increased from time to time. From 1st October, 2018, Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of AWWs at Anganwadi centres (AWCs) from Rs.3,000/- to Rs.4,500/- per month; AWWs at mini- AWCs from Rs.2,250/- to Rs.3,500/- per month; AWHs from Rs.1,500/- to Rs.2,250/- per month as per the defined cost sharing ratio between the Centre & States/UTs. In addition, States/UTs are also paying additional monetary incentives/top ups to these functionaries from their own resources which vary from State to State. Details of additional top ups provided by States/ UTs are at Annexure. Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- is provided to AWWs and Rs.250/- per month to AWHs. In addition, States/UTs are also paying additional monetary incentives/top ups to these voluntary workers from their own resources which vary from State to State. Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, AWWs have been technologically empowered with the provision of smartphones for efficient monitoring and service delivery. Poshan Tracker which is a mobile phone application that has digitized physical registers used by Anganwadi workers. This improves the quality of their work while simultaneously enabling them for real-time monitoring of all activities going on in the Anganwadis. To incentivize and encourage the AWWs and AWHs, various initiatives have been undertaken including the following: i. Promotion: Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, promotional opportunities for Anganwadi Workers have been enhanced. 50% posts of Anganwadi Workers are to be filled by Anganwadi Helpers with 5 years of experience and 50% posts of Supervisors are to be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of experience subject to fulfilment of other criteria. ii. Leave: 20 days annual leave and paid maternity absence of 180 days, paid absence on abortion/ miscarriage once for 45 days. iii. State Governments and UT Administrations have been requested to encourage eligible AWWs and AWHs to get themselves enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM) Pension Scheme, which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for the unorganized sectors in the country to ensure old age protection. iv. Social Security Insurance Schemes: Insurance benefits have been provided to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life cover worth Rs.2.00 lakh (covers life risk, death due to any reason) in the age group of 18 to 50 years and under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana for accidental cover of Rs.2.00 Lakh (accidental death and permanent full disability) /Rs.1.00 Lakh (partial but permanent disability) in the age group of 18-59 years.v. Retirement date: States and UTs have been requested to adopt a uniform retirement date i.e 30th April of each year with respect to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers to ensure proper human resource planning. vi. Annual Healthcare coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to all Anganwadi workers and helpers in pursuance to budget announcement in FY 2024-25. ********Annexure Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2232 to be answered on 01.08.2025 regarding “Additional Incentive to AWWs and AWHs” Details of additional top ups provided by States/ UTs as per Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP) 2025-26: Sr. State Additional Honorarium Additional Honorarium paid No. paid to AWWs (per to AWHs (per month) month) 1 Andhra Pradesh 7,000 4,750 2 Bihar 2,500 1,750 3 Chhattisgarh 5,500 2,750 4 Gujarat 5,500 3,250 5 Haryana 10,250 5,650 6 Himachal Pradesh 5,500 3,250 7 Jammu & Kashmir 600 300 8 Jharkhand 5,000 2,500 9 Karnataka 7,000 4,500 10 Kerala 5,700 4,300 11 Madhya Pradesh 8,500 4,250 12 Maharashtra 8,500 5,250 13 Odisha 5,500 2,750 14 Punjab 5,500-6,500 2,750-3,250 15 Rajasthan 5,510 3,674 16 Tamil Nadu 3,200 1,850 17 Telangana 9,150 5,550 18 Uttar Pradesh 1,500 750 19 Uttarakhand 4,800 3,000 20 West Bengal 4,500 4,550 21 Arunachal Pradesh 3,000 3,000 22 Assam 2,000 1,000 23 Manipur 1,000 600 24 Meghalaya 3,000 1,000 25 Mizoram 450 500 26 Nagaland Nil Nil 27 Sikkim 7,000 4,500 28 Tripura 3,500-5,946 2,750-4218 29 Andaman & 7,500 5,750 Nicobar30 Goa 5,500 -13,500 3,750 - 6,750 31 Puducherry 1,950 2,125 32 Chandigarh 3,600 1,800 33 Ladakh 1,300 650 34 Delhi 6,720 3,360 35 Dadra & Nagar 3,500 1,750 Haveli and Daman & Diu 36 Lakshadweep 5,500 4,750 *****