**Executive Summary**
This document addresses a parliamentary question regarding the salary and benefits of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) in India. It outlines the central government's initiatives to enhance the honorarium and social security of AWWs and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs). The response details current salary structures, incentives, insurance schemes, leave policies, and technological empowerment under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, as of 13.02.2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Honorarium Enhancement:**
* The Government of India has increased the monthly honorarium for AWWs to Rs.4,500 and for AWHs to Rs.2,250, effective from October 1, 2018.
* A performance-linked incentive of Rs.500 per month is provided to AWWs and Rs.250 per month to AWHs.
* States/UTs provide additional monetary incentives/top-ups from their own resources, varying by State.
* **Technological Empowerment:**
* AWWs are being equipped with smartphones under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 to facilitate efficient monitoring and service delivery using the Poshan Tracker mobile application.
* **Incentives and Benefits:**
* **Leave:** 20 days annual leave, 180 days paid maternity absence, and 45 days paid absence for abortion/miscarriage.
* **Pension Scheme:** States/UTs encouraged to enroll eligible AWWs/AWHs under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM) Pension Scheme.
* **Promotion:** 50% of AWW posts are to be filled by AWHs with 5 years of experience; 50% of supervisor posts are to be filled by AWWs with 5 years of experience.
* **Insurance:** Coverage under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life cover of Rs.2.00 lakh (18-50 years) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana for accidental cover of Rs.2.00 lakh/Rs.1.00 lakh (18-59 years).
* **Retirement:** States/UTs requested to adopt a uniform retirement date of 30th April each year.
* **Healthcare:** Annual healthcare coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) for all Anganwadi workers and helpers in pursuance to budget announcement in FY 2024-25.
* **Additional State/UT Top-Ups:**
* The document includes an annexure detailing the additional honorarium provided by various States/UTs to AWWs, ranging from Rs.450 to Rs.13,500 per month as per the Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP) 2025-26.
**Impact Analysis**
**Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs)**
* **Impact:** Improved financial compensation through enhanced honorarium and performance-linked incentives; increased social security through insurance and pension schemes; enhanced work efficiency through technological empowerment; improved work-life balance through clarified leave policies; increased opportunities for career advancement through defined promotion criteria; improved access to health care.
* **Action Required:** Enroll in the PM-SYM pension scheme if eligible; utilize provided smartphones and the Poshan Tracker app effectively; be aware of updated leave policies; prepare for potential promotion opportunities by gaining relevant experience.
**State Governments/UT Administrations**
* **Impact:** Increased financial burden due to additional top-ups from state resources; requirement to implement the centrally sponsored schemes and ensure day-to-day program implementation; need to encourage enrollment in the pension scheme; need to adopt a uniform retirement date.
* **Action Required:** Allocate funds for additional honorarium top-ups; effectively implement the centrally sponsored schemes; encourage AWW/AWH enrollment in PM-SYM; implement a uniform retirement date (30th April).
**Central Government**
* **Impact:** Responsible for policy and planning related to the welfare of AWWs and AWHs.
* **Action Required:** Continue policy and planning regarding AWWs and AWHs.
Key Entities Referenced
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs): Honorary workers providing child care and development services at Anganwadi centers.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: Centrally Sponsored scheme aimed at strengthening Anganwadi services and improving nutritional outcomes.
Ministry of Women & Child Development: Union ministry responsible for policy and programs related to women and child development, including Anganwadi schemes.
Maharashtra: Indian state specifically mentioned regarding additional Grant-in-aid for Anganwadi workers.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM): Voluntary pension scheme for unorganized sector workers, including AWWs and AWHs.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2371
TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026
SALARY AND BENEFITS TO ANGANWADI WORKER
2371. SHRI SHAFI PARAMBIL:
DR. KIRSAN NAMDEO:
Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has any plan to increase the salary, benefits and social security
of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) across the country including Maharashtra, if so, the
details thereof;
(b) the details of the salary and other benefits given to Anganwadi workers as of 31st
December 2025, State-wise;
(c) whether the Government has taken steps for upliftment and development of Anganwadi
Workers (AWWs), if so, the details of the schemes formulated therefor; and
(d) whether the Government is considering to release additional Grant-in-aid to
Government of Maharashtra to meet the demand of Anganwadi workers and
development of these workers, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (d): Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers are honorary workers from the local
community who come forward voluntarily to render their services in the area of child care and
development to help the local community.
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) are paid a monthly
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; 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 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. The State and UT wise details of additional top up to
Anganwadi Workers is placed at Annexure.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. 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.
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.
*****Annexure
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (D) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2371 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026
REGARDING “SALARY AND BENEFITS TO ANGANWADI WORKER”
Details of additional top ups provided by States/UTs as per Annual Programme Implementation
Plan (APIP) 2025-26:
Sr. State Additional Honorarium
No. paid to AWWs (per month)
1 Andhra Pradesh 7,000
2 Bihar 2,500
3 Chhattisgarh 5,500
4 Gujarat 5,500
5 Haryana 10,250
6 Himachal Pradesh 5,500
7 Jammu & Kashmir 600
8 Jharkhand 5,000
9 Karnataka 7,000
10 Kerala 5,700
11 Madhya Pradesh 8,500
12 Maharashtra 8,500
13 Odisha 5,500
14 Punjab 5,500-6,500
15 Rajasthan 5,510
16 Tamil Nadu 3,200
17 Telangana 9,15018 Uttar Pradesh 1,500
19 Uttarakhand 4,800
20 West Bengal 4,500
21 Arunachal Pradesh 3,000
22 Assam 2,000
23 Manipur 1,000
24 Meghalaya 3,000
25 Mizoram 450
26 Nagaland Nil
27 Sikkim 7,000
28 Tripura 3,500-5,946
29 Andaman & Nicobar 7,500
30 Goa 5,500 -13,500
31 Puducherry 1,950
32 Chandigarh 3,600
33 Ladakh 1,300
34 Delhi 6,720
35 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & 3,500
Diu
36 Lakshadweep 5,500
******