Executive Summary:
This document addresses basic facilities for Anganwadi workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) under the centrally sponsored Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme. It details honorarium enhancements effective from October 1, 2018, additional state/UT incentives, and various social security benefits. The document also includes annexures specifying additional top-ups provided by States/UTs as per APIP 2025-26 and the state/UT-wise details of in-position Anganwadi Workers as of July 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Scheme Overview:**
* Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a centrally sponsored scheme with the Central Government responsible for policy and planning, and State Governments/UT Administrations responsible for implementation.
* **Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs):**
* AWWs and AWHs are honorary workers who receive an honorarium, which is increased periodically.
* Effective October 1, 2018, the Government of India enhanced honorariums:
* AWWs at Anganwadi centers: 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.
* States/UTs provide additional monetary incentives/top-ups from their own resources.
* AWWs receive a performance-linked incentive of Rs.500, and AWHs receive Rs.250 per month.
* **Technological Empowerment:**
* AWWs are provided with smartphones and the Poshan Tracker mobile application for efficient monitoring and service delivery.
* **Incentives and Encouragement:**
* Promotional opportunities: 50% of Anganwadi Worker posts are filled by Anganwadi Helpers (5 years of experience), and 50% of Supervisor posts are filled by Anganwadi Workers (5 years of experience).
* Leave: 20 days annual leave, 180 days paid maternity absence, and 45 days paid absence for abortion/miscarriage (once).
* Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PMSYM) Pension Scheme: States/UTs are requested to encourage enrollment for AWWs and AWHs.
* Social Security Insurance Schemes:
* Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY): Life cover of Rs.2.00 lakh (ages 18-50).
* Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana: Accidental cover of Rs.2.00 Lakh for accidental death and permanent full disability; Rs.1.00 Lakh for partial but permanent disability (ages 18-59).
* Retirement Date: States/UTs are requested to adopt a uniform retirement date of April 30th each year.
* Annual Healthcare: Coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) to all Anganwadi workers and helpers.
Impact Analysis:
**Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs):**
* *Impact:* Increased honorarium, additional state/UT incentives, promotional opportunities, leave benefits, access to pension and insurance schemes, healthcare coverage, and technological empowerment.
* *Action Required:* Utilize provided smartphones and Poshan Tracker app, consider enrolling in PMSYM, and be aware of insurance benefits.
**State Governments/UT Administrations:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme, including providing additional monetary incentives to AWWs and AWHs.
* *Action Required:* Ensure timely disbursement of honorariums and incentives, encourage enrollment in PMSYM, adopt a uniform retirement date, and facilitate healthcare coverage under ABPMJAY.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Women and Child Development: A ministry of the Government of India responsible for policies and programs related to women and child development.
Anganwadi Workers: Community health workers in India who provide basic healthcare and education in rural areas as part of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: A centrally sponsored scheme focused on improving nutrition and early childhood development through Anganwadi centers.
Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha Constituency: A Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, India, mentioned in the context of the number of Anganwadi workers and their remuneration.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan: A voluntary and contributory pension scheme for workers in the unorganized sector in India.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana: A life insurance scheme in India offering coverage for death due to any reason.
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana: An accident insurance scheme in India providing coverage for accidental death and disability.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: A national public health insurance fund of the Government of India that aims to provide free access to health insurance coverage for qualified citizens.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3225
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2025
BASIC FACILITIES TO ANGANWADI WORKERS
†3225. SHRI NARAYAN TATU RANE:
Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the facilities being provided
to Anganwadi workers;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to increase their
salaries;
(c) the details of steps proposed to ensure social security benefits, status of
compliance with Minimum Wages Act, proper compensation and social security
for them; and
(d) the total number of such workers along with their current remuneration structure
across the country, especially in the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha
Constituency?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (d) 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 forward to 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 I.
Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- is provided to AWWs and Rs.250/- per
month to AWHs.The State/UT wise details of in-position Anganwadi Workers across the country is placed
at Annexure II.
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 I
Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.3225
to be answered on 08.08.2025 regarding “Basic Facilities to Anganwadi Workers”
Details of additional top ups provided by States/ UTs as per Annual Programme
Implementation Plan (APIP) 2025-26:
Sr. State Additional Honorarium paid Additional Honorarium
No. to AWWs (per month) paid to AWHs (per 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 & Nicobar 7,500 5,750
30 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 Haveli 3,500 1,750
and Daman & Diu
36 Lakshadweep 5,500 4,750Annexure II
Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question
No.3225 to be answered on 08.08.2025 regarding “Basic Facilities to Anganwadi
Workers”
State/UT wise details of in-position Anganwadi Workers as per July, 2025:
S.No State/ UT In-Position Anganwadi Workers
1 Andhra Pradesh 54944
2 Bihar 110161
3 Chhattisgarh 52002
4 Gujarat 50277
5 Haryana 23194
6 Himachal Pradesh 18580
7 Jammu & Kashmir 28082
8 Jharkhand 37812
9 Karnataka 66098
10 Kerala 33051
11 Madhya Pradesh 95058
12 Maharashtra 108560
13 Odisha 73475
14 Punjab 25343
15 Rajasthan 60625
16 Tamil Nadu 43940
17 Telangana 32782
18 Uttar Pradesh 182348
19 Uttarakhand 19778
20 West Bengal 105210
21 Arunachal Pradesh 6225
22 Assam 59801
23 Manipur 10747
24 Meghalaya 6153
25 Mizoram 2244
26 Nagaland 3980
27 Sikkim 1308
28 Tripura 10275
29 Andaman & Nicobar 720
30 Goa 1240
31 Puducherry 582
32 Chandigarh 435
33 Ladakh 1163
34 Delhi 10488
35 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 404
36 Lakshadweep 58
Total 1337143
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