Parliament Question: Modernisation of Anganwadi Centres

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *418 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026 MODERNISATION OF ANGANWADI CENTRES *418. SMT. SANDHYA RAY: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is implementing any special scheme for modernisation of Anganwadi Centres and equipping them with robust infrastructure in Bhind and Datia districts of Madhya Pradesh, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether there is any proposal to set up a crèche (child care centre)/"workplace based child care centre" for working women in the said districts, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government is running special campaigns for the health, anaemia control and skill development of adolescent girls, if so, the details thereof; (d) whether there is any proposal to generate employment at the local level by linking women self-help groups with nutritional food production, supply/community nutrition centres, if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether any integrated initiative is proposed to develop the said districts as model districts in the field of women empowerment? ANSWER MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI) (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 418 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026 REGARDING “MODERNISATION OF ANGANWADI CENTRES” (a) Under Mission Poshan 2.0, two lakh Anganwadi Centres located in Government buildings @40,000 AWCs per year are strengthened as Saksham Anganwadis for delivery of improved nutrition and for Early Childhood Care and Education in the 15th Finance Commission cycle. Saksham Anganwadis are provided with better infrastructure than the conventional Anganwadi centres with LED screens, water filtration system, Poshan Vatika, ECCE material and BALA paintings. As on 17.03.2026, a total of 2 Lakh AWCs have been sanctioned for upgradation as Saksham Anganwadis across the country out of which 446 Anganwadi centres have been sanctioned for Bhind district and 342 Anganwadi Centres have been sanctioned for Datia district in State of Madhya Pradesh. (b) The Ministry of Women and Child Development has introduced Palna Scheme under the Samarthya Vertical of Umbrella Mission Shakti for all States and UTs w.e.f. 01 April 2022. Anganwadi centres are the world's largest childcare institutions dedicated to providing essential care and support to children ensuring delivery of care facilities till the last mile. In a first of its kind approach, Ministry has extended the services of childcare through Anganwadi cum Crèche (AWCC). Anganwadi cum Crèche initiative aims to increase ‘women work force participation’ in the economy. The objective of the scheme is to provide quality crèche facility in safe and secure environment for children (from ages 6 months – 6 years), nutritional support, health and cognitive development of children, growth monitoring & immunization. Crèche facilities under Palna are provided to all mothers, irrespective of their employment status. Palna scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Programme Approval Board (PAB) meetings are held with the State Governments and UT Administrations annually wherein States and UTs submit proposals for opening Anganwadi-cum-Creches and operationalize them. State Governments and UT Administrations also contribute their corresponding share for the implementation of the Scheme. Till date, a total of 14,708 AWCCs have been approved by the Ministry across 34 States/UTs including 448 for State of Madhya Pradesh, as per proposals received from them. (c) Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 a new strategy has been made for reduction in malnutrition and for improved health, wellness and immunity through activities like community engagement, outreach, behavioural change and advocacy. It focuses on Maternal Nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding Norms, treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)/ Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and wellness through AYUSH practices to reduce prevalence of wasting, stunting, anaemia and being underweight. Community Based Events (CBEs), held twice a month at each Anganwadi Centre, strengthen community engagement and promote better nutrition practices. These events celebrate key milestones for pregnant women, adolescent girls and young children and spread awareness on complementary feeding, diet diversity, anaemia, WASH and public health. Since 2018, 9.80 crore CBEs have been conducted.In addition to this, MWCD had signed an MoU on 26.02.2024 with M/o Ayush for pilot implementation of evidence-based Ayurveda interventions for prevention and management of anemia and to improve the nutritional status among Adolescent girls (14-18 years) in five Mission Utkarsh Districts. The pilot intervention has been undertaken in the Districts of Dhubri (Assam), Bastar (Chhattisgarh), Paschimi Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), and Dholpur (Rajasthan). Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is responsible for the entire implementation of the project. MWCD has provided support from District/Block/Project and AWC level for the coordination of the project. Public Health Foundation of India's (PHFI) Indian Institute of Public Health, Delhi has independently conducted the assessment of the impact of this project. Pursuant to an MoU signed between Ministry of Women & Child Development and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on October 11, 2022, a pilot project NAVYA (Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls) for skilling of adolescent girls in the age group of 16-18 years has been launched in 27 districts of 19 States and UT including State of Madhya Pradesh. (d) & (e) There are a number of schemes/ programmes being implemented by various Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India across the country for social and economic empowerment of women, including for women and girls in the Bhind and Datia districts of Madhya Pradesh. The major schemes and programmes of the Government of India for education include, Samagra Shiksha, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Eklavya Model Residential Schools, pre-matric and post-matric scholarships, National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT), SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds), SWAYAM PRABHA, PM e-Vidya, and National Digital Library (NDL). Social protection is addressed through Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), while food security is strengthened by the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). Sanitation, clean energy, and water access have been enhanced via Swachh Bharat Mission, Ujjawala Yojana, and Jal Jeevan Mission. Housing needs are met through Prime Minister Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) and Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U). In health, Ayushman Bharat, Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), and Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) provide essential medical services and affordable medicines, medical devices and sanitary products. Skill development and digital literacy are promoted under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), while financial inclusion and entrepreneurship are supported through Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Stand Up India, MUDRA Yojana, and Start-up India. Employment, self- employment and credit facilitation are further extended by Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGMSE), and the Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY) offers targeted vocational training to rural women. Collectively, these schemes are driving the agenda of women-led development, gender equality, women empowerment, and gender mainstreaming. The Ministry of Women and Child Development is also implementing Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) across the country (except Telangana) w.e.f. 01.01.2017. The PMMVY is a Centrally Sponsored Maternity Benefit Scheme under which cash incentives of₹5,000/- is provided directly to the Bank/Post Office account of the beneficiary in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode for first child. The eligible beneficiaries receive the remaining cash incentive, as per approved norms towards maternity benefit under Janani Suraksha Yojana after institutional delivery, so that on an average a woman gets ₹6,000/-. Cash incentive of ₹6,000/- is also provided under PMMVY to eligible beneficiaries for second child subject to the second child being a girl”. The objectives of PMMVY are to provide cash incentive for partial compensation for the wage loss so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first child; and to improve health seeking behaviour amongst the Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM). The scheme also seeks to promote positive behavioural change towards girl child by providing additional cash incentive for the second child, if that is a girl child. Benefits amounting to Rs. 20,117 crores have been extended to approximately 4.28 crore women across the country through this scheme since inception of the scheme (01.01.2017) till 17.03.2026. In Madhya Pradesh, benefits amounting to Rs. 2,316.45 crore have been extended to approximately 48.21 lakh women through this scheme since inception of the scheme (01.01.2017) till 17.03.2026. Further, a total of 94,428 beneficiaries and 52,977 beneficiaries have been paid maternity benefits under PMMVY in Bhind and Datia districts of Madhya Pradesh respectively since inception of the scheme (01.01.2017) till 17.03.2026. *****