Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development addresses questions regarding the Smart Poshan Anganwadi Certification and related initiatives under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0. As of the report date (August 1, 2025), the initiative includes upgrading Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), training Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and conducting awareness programs. A state-wise list of approved Anganwadi Centres for upgradation and a list of AWWs trained under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) are provided.
Key Points / Main Content:
Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0:
* 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) approved for upgrade to Saksham Anganwadis.
* Upgraded AWCs will feature improved infrastructure, including internet/Wi-Fi, LED screens, water purifiers, and smart learning equipment.
Mini AWC Upgradation:
* 1,11,363 Mini-AWCs are sanctioned for upgrade to full-fledged Anganwadi Centres as of 08.07.2025.
* Each upgraded AWC will have one worker and one helper.
Community Mobilization and Awareness:
* Focus on Community-Based Events (CBEs) to change nutritional practices.
* Anganwadi workers required to conduct two CBEs every month.
* Poshan Pakhwada (March-April) and Rashtriya Poshan Maah (September) are celebrated annually since 2018.
* Over 140 crore outreach activities conducted with involvement from 18+ partner ministries/departments.
Impact of Poshan Abhiyaan:
* A 2021 World Bank survey in 11 states showed that nutrition services delivered through Poshan Abhiyaan correlated with improved nutrition behaviors.
* Over 80% of women received nutrition messages, and 81% practiced exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
Training under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB):
* Training is imparted through a cascading model, training District Officers, Block Coordinators, and Supervisors, who then train Anganwadi Workers.
* As of 28 July 2025, 5,71,667 AWWs have been trained across the country.
* 4,122 AWWs in Gujarat have been trained under PBPB.
Impact Analysis:
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs):
* Impact: Required to conduct two Community-Based Events (CBEs) monthly. Subject to training under the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) initiative.
* Action Required: Participate in training programs. Implement community mobilization and awareness activities.
State/UT Governments:
* Impact: Responsible for implementing and monitoring the upgrade of Anganwadi Centres to Saksham Anganwadis. Responsible for conducting outreach activities.
* Action Required: Ensure infrastructure upgrades at approved AWCs. Facilitate training of AWWs.
Community Members:
* Impact: Beneficiaries of improved nutrition delivery and early childhood care education at upgraded Anganwadi Centres. Target audience for community mobilization and awareness campaigns.
* Action Required: Participate in Community-Based Events (CBEs) and adopt improved nutritional practices.
Key Entities Referenced
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: A government initiative focused on improving nutrition delivery and early childhood care and education through Anganwadi centers.
Poshan Pakhwada: A nutrition-focused awareness campaign conducted annually in March-April.
Rashtriya Poshan Maah: A nutrition-focused awareness campaign conducted annually in September.
Poshan Abhiyaan: A government program aimed at improving nutritional outcomes.
Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi: An initiative to train Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) in early childhood care education.
Dahod, Gujarat: A district in Gujarat, specifically mentioned in the context of Anganwadi schemes.
World Bank: An international financial institution that conducted a survey on the delivery of nutrition services under the Poshan Abhiyaan in 11 states.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India where 9958 Anganwadi Centres have been approved to be upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2088
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025
SMART POSHAN ANGANWADI CERTIFICATION
2088. SHRI CHINTAMANI MAHARAJ:
SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:
SHRI DULU MAHATO:
DR. RAJESH MISHRA:
DR. MANNA LAL RAWAT:
SHRI PP CHAUDHARY
SMT. VIJAYLAKSHMI DEVI:
SMT. SANDHYA RAY:
SHRI. VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:
SMT. ROOPKUMARI CHOUDHARY:
SHRI SUKHJINDER SINGH RANDHAWA:
SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:
SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR
SHRI BHOJRAJ NAG:
SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH:
MS. BANSURI SWARAJ:
SHRI ALOK SHARMA:
MS KANGNA RANAUT:
SMT. KAMLESH JANGDE:
SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:
SHRI CHAVDA VINOD LAKHAMSHI:
SHRI RAJKUMAR CHAHAR:
Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:
(a) whether the ‘Smart Poshan Anganwadi Certification’ has been implemented in the
country, if so, the details and status thereof indicating the number of Anganwadi
centres certified, State-wise, UT-wise and district-wise;
(b) whether feedback from Anganwadi and ASHA workers has been received regarding
the effectiveness of the awareness sessions conducted during Poshan Pakhwada;
(c) if so, the details of key findings from these evaluations along with the measures being
taken to enhance the effectiveness of the programme especially State-wise and
district-wise;(d) whether Anganwadi workers have been trained for Smart Poshan Anganwadi and if
so, the details thereof; State-wise including Dahod in Gujarat; and
(e) whether any new scheme has been proposed for Anganwadi in Dahod, if so, the
details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (e): Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, as on date, 2 lakh
Anganwadi Centres have been approved to be upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis for
improved nutrition delivery and for imparting early childhood care and education. Saksham
Anganwadis are provided with better infrastructure than the conventional Anganwadi
Centres which includes internet/Wi-Fi connectivity, LED screens, water purifier/installation
of RO Machine and smart learning equipments.
State wise list of number of Anganwadi Centres that have been approved to be upgraded
as Saksham Anganwadis is placed at Annexure-I.
The Government has also taken a policy decision to upgrade all Mini AWCs to a full-fledged
Anganwadi Centres with one worker and one helper each to help in carrying out various
responsibilities under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 including
responsibilities related to Early Childhood Care & Education. Sanction for upgradation of 1,
11,363 Mini-AWCs to main AWCs has been issued as on 08.07.2025.
Under this Mission, one of the major activities undertaken is Community Mobilization and
Awareness Advocacy to educate people on nutritional aspects as adoption of good nutrition
habit requires sustained efforts for behavioural change. Community-Based Events (CBEs)
have served as a significant strategy in changing nutritional practices, and all Anganwadi
workers are required to conduct two CBEs every month. Under Jan Andolan, Poshan
Pakhwada and Rashtriya Poshan Maah are celebrated annually in March-April and
September respectively, since 2018. So far, a total of 7 Poshan Maah and 7 Poshan
Pakhwada have been conducted. The States/ UTs have reported more than 140 crore
outreach activities around various thematic areas including importance of maternal nutrition,
appropriate techniques of breastfeeding, importance of timely initiation of complimentary
feeding, first 1000 days of life, poshan ke panch sutra, anemia, tribal sensitisation, millet
promotion, environment protection, ECCE etc., in coordination with more than 18 partner
ministries/ departments. In 2021, the World Bank surveyed 11 states to assess the
program’s delivery of nutrition services. The findings demonstrated that the services
delivered through the Poshan Abhiyaan – the receipt of relevant messages, home visits by
the anganwadi worker, and attendance at community-based events – were associated and
co-related with improved nutrition behaviours. The survey also found that the program'snutrition messages reached more than 80% of women, and that 81% of women practised
exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
Under the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) initiative, the Ministry is imparting training to all
the officials and field functionaries in the States/ UTs through a cascading model of training,
wherein Master Trainers (namely, District Officers, Block Coordinators and Supervisors) are
trained and these master trainers further train all Anganwadi Workers in the field. As on 28
July 2025, 5, 71,667 AWWs have been trained across the country. In the State of Gujarat,
4122 AWWs have been trained for modules under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative.
Details of State and UT wise number of Anganwadi Workers trained under PBPB are placed
at Annexure-II.
*****Annexure-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO. 2088
FOR 01.08.2025 REGARDING “SMART POSHAN ANGANWADI CERTIFICATION”
State wise list of number of Anganwadi Centres that have been approved to be upgraded
as Saksham Anganwadis is as follows:
Total No. of AWCs
S.No. State/UT approved for upgradation
as on date
1 Andhra Pradesh 9958
2 Bihar 11529
3 Chhattisgarh 11490
4 Gujarat 13147
5 Haryana 2804
6 Himachal Pradesh 1030
7 Jammu & Kashmir 338
8 Jharkhand 16775
9 Karnataka 17732
10 Kerala 4152
11 Madhya Pradesh 24662
12 Maharashtra 14745
13 Odisha 12140
14 Punjab 353
15 Rajasthan 3514
16 Tamil Nadu 11972
17 Telangana 5008
18 Uttar Pradesh 23697
19 Uttarakhand 827
20 West Bengal 5359
21 Arunachal Pradesh 152
22 Assam 5407
23 Manipur 30
24 Meghalaya 121
25 Mizoram 1600
26 Nagaland 149
27 Sikkim 435
28 Tripura 474
29 Andaman & Nicobar 140
30 Goa 24
31 Puducherry 135
32 Chandigarh 6933 Ladakh 14
34 Delhi 0
35 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 0
36 Lakshadweep 18
Total 200000Annexure-II
ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA QUESTION NO. 2088
FOR 01.08.2025 REGARDING “SMART POSHAN ANGANWADI CERTIFICATION”
Details of State/UT-wise number of Anganwadi Workers trained under PBPB as on 28 July
2025 are as follows:
Name of the States/UTs Number of AWWs
trained
India 5,71,667
Andaman and Nicobar Islands 733
Andhra Pradesh 53328
Arunachal Pradesh 1377
Assam 23180
Bihar 90264
Chandigarh 548
Chhattisgarh 11071
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 240
Delhi 10412
Goa 1148
Gujarat 4122
Haryana 8044
Himachal Pradesh 0
Jammu and Kashmir 24931
Jharkhand 11760
Karnataka 426
Kerala 15198
Ladakh 1153
Lakshadweep 0
Madhya Pradesh 91458
Maharashtra 36132
Manipur 4576
Meghalaya 2122
Mizoram 2357
Nagaland 3729
Odisha 8722
Puducherry 616
Punjab 7922
Rajasthan 57948Sikkim 387
Tamil Nadu 445
Telangana 0
Tripura 3192
Uttar Pradesh 46432
Uttarakhand 5171
West Bengal 42522
Total 5,71,667
*****