Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development addresses a parliamentary inquiry regarding social security for Anganwadi Workers (AWWs). It outlines the Central Government's role in policy and planning under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, while State Governments/UT Administrations handle day-to-day implementation. The policy details honorarium enhancements, incentives, and various social security schemes aimed at uplifting AWWs and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs). AWWs and AWHs benefit from increased honorariums, performance-linked incentives, technological empowerment through smartphones and the Poshan Tracker, and enhanced promotional opportunities.
Key Points / Main Content:
Honorarium and Incentives:
* Increased honorarium for AWWs at Anganwadi centers to Rs. 4,500 per month, AWWs at mini AWCs to Rs. 3,500 per month, and AWHs to Rs. 2,250 per month, effective from October 1, 2018, based on cost-sharing between Centre and States/UTs.
* Performance-linked incentive of Rs. 500 per month for AWWs and Rs. 250 per month for AWHs.
* States/UTs provide additional monetary incentives/top-ups to these workers from their own resources.
Technological Empowerment:
* Provision of smartphones to AWWs for efficient monitoring and service delivery.
* Implementation of Poshan Tracker, a mobile application for digitizing physical registers and real-time monitoring.
Promotional Opportunities and Leave:
* 50% of Anganwadi Worker posts to be filled by Anganwadi Helpers with 5 years of experience.
* 50% of Supervisor posts to be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of experience, subject to criteria fulfillment.
* AWWs and AWHs are entitled to 20 days of annual leave.
* Paid maternity absence of 180 days and paid absence of 45 days in case of abortion/miscarriage.
Social Security Schemes:
* Encouragement for AWWs and AWHs to enroll in the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PMSYM) Pension Scheme.
* Insurance benefits under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life cover of Rs. 2.00 lakh and 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).
Retirement and Healthcare:
* States and UTs 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: Enhanced honorarium, incentives, promotional opportunities, technological empowerment, social security benefits, and improved working conditions.
* Action Required: Utilize smartphones and Poshan Tracker for efficient service delivery, consider enrolling in PMSYM, and avail benefits under PMJJBY and PMSBY.
State Governments/UT Administrations:
* Impact: Responsible for day-to-day program implementation, including disbursing honorariums and additional incentives.
* Action Required: Ensure timely disbursement of honorariums and incentives, encourage AWWs and AWHs to enroll in PMSYM, adopt a uniform retirement date, and provide additional support from their own resources.
Central Government:
* Impact: Responsible for policy, planning, and financial support through centrally sponsored schemes.
* Action Required: Continue to monitor and evaluate the implementation of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
Key Entities Referenced
Anganwadi Workers: Honorary workers from the local community who voluntarily render their services in the area of child care and development.
Anganwadi Helpers: Honorary workers who assist Anganwadi Workers in child care and development.
West Bengal: A state in India that has made demands for increasing the wages and social security of Anganwadi Workers.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: A Centrally Sponsored scheme responsible for policy and planning related to Anganwadi services.
Poshan Tracker: A mobile phone application that has digitized physical registers used by Anganwadi workers.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan: A voluntary and contributory pension scheme for workers in the unorganized sectors, including Anganwadi Workers and Helpers.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana: An insurance scheme providing life cover to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: Annual Healthcare coverage scheme to all Anganwadi workers and helpers.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2082
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025
SOCIAL SECURITY TO AWWS
2082. MR. PATHAN YUSUF:
Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken steps for upliftment and development of Anganwadi Workers
(AWWs), if so, the details of the schemes therefor;
(b) whether the Government has received such demands for increasing the wages and social security of
AWWs in West Bengal, if so, the details thereof; and
(c) whether the Government is considering to release additional Grant-in-aid to Government of West
Bengal 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 (c) 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.
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.
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.
********