Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development addresses the status and benefits of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Helpers (AWHs), who are considered honorary workers receiving an honorarium. The policy outlines enhancements to their honorarium, performance-linked incentives, technological empowerment, and various welfare initiatives. It encourages States/UTs to provide additional incentives and ensure access to pension and insurance schemes.
Key Points / Main Content:
Honorarium and Incentives:
* AWWs at Anganwadi centers receive Rs. 4,500 per month.
* AWWs at mini AWCs receive Rs. 3,500 per month.
* AWHs receive Rs. 2,250 per month (effective 1st October 2018).
* AWWs receive a performance-linked incentive of Rs. 500 per month.
* AWHs receive a performance-linked incentive of Rs. 250 per month.
* States/UTs may provide additional monetary incentives.
Technological Empowerment:
* AWWs are provided with smartphones and the Poshan Tracker app for efficient monitoring and service delivery.
Leave and Absence:
* AWWs and AWHs are entitled to 20 days of annual leave.
* AWWs and AWHs are entitled to 180 days of paid maternity absence.
* AWWs and AWHs are entitled to 45 days of paid absence on abortion or miscarriage (once).
Pension and Insurance Schemes:
* States/UTs are requested to encourage enrollment in the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PMSYM) Pension Scheme.
* AWWs and AWHs are provided insurance benefits under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life cover of Rs. 2.00 lakh.
* AWWs and AWHs are provided insurance benefits under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) for accidental cover of Rs. 2.00 Lakh (accidental death and permanent full disability) and Rs. 1.00 Lakh (partial but permanent disability).
Promotion and Retirement:
* 50% of Anganwadi Worker posts are to be filled by Anganwadi Helpers with 5 years of experience.
* 50% of Supervisor posts are to be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of experience, subject to criteria fulfilment.
* States and UTs are requested to adopt a uniform retirement date of 30th April for AWWs and AWHs.
Healthcare Coverage:
* AWWs and AWHs will receive annual healthcare coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY).
Impact Analysis:
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs):
* Impact: Increased honorarium, performance-linked incentives, access to technology, enhanced leave benefits, promotion opportunities, and social security insurance and pension schemes. Also retirement and healthcare benefits.
* Action Required: Utilize provided smartphones and Poshan Tracker app for efficient monitoring and service delivery. Consider enrolling in the PMSYM pension scheme.
State Governments and UT Administrations:
* Impact: Required to implement enhanced honorarium and incentive structures. Encouraged to provide additional monetary incentives and ensure AWWs/AWHs enrollment in PMSYM. Asked to adopt uniform retirement date.
* Action Required: Allocate resources for increased honorariums and incentives. Conduct awareness campaigns to promote PMSYM enrollment. Adopt the uniform retirement date of April 30th. Implement annual healthcare coverage under ABPMJAY.
Ministry of Women and Child Development:
* Impact: Responsible for monitoring the implementation of enhanced benefits and ensuring technological empowerment.
* Action Required: Oversee the distribution of smartphones and the adoption of the Poshan Tracker app. Monitor State/UT compliance with honorarium enhancements and PMSYM enrollment efforts.
Key Entities Referenced
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs): Honorary workers from the local community who voluntarily render their services in the area of child care and development.
Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs): Assist Anganwadi Workers in their duties at Anganwadi centres.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: A government initiative focused on strengthening Anganwadi services and improving nutritional outcomes.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PMSYM) Pension Scheme: A voluntary and contributory pension scheme for workers in the unorganized sector.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY): An insurance scheme providing life cover for death due to any reason.
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana: An insurance scheme providing accidental death and disability cover.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY): A health insurance scheme providing annual healthcare coverage.
Poshan Tracker: A mobile phone application that has digitized physical registers used by Anganwadi workers
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1054
TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2025
BENEFITS TO AWWS AND AWHS
1054. DR. SHASHI THAROOR:
Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Helpers (AWHs) are officially
classified as ‘volunteers’ who get an ‘honorarium’, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether these AWWs and AWHs get maternity leave, pension and other benefits as
the Government employees, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
and
(c) whether the Government plans to consider AWWs and AWHs as Government
employees, if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard and if not, the
reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (c) 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 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 & the States/UTs.
Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- is also 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 whilesimultaneously 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. Leave: 20 days' annual leave and paid maternity absence of 180 days, paid absence
on abortion/ miscarriage once for 45 days.
ii. 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.
iii. 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.
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.
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