Date: 2026-03-25Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Under Mission Poshan 2.0, during 15th FC cycle period, two lakh Anganwadi Centres located in Government buildings being strengthened as Saksham Anganwadis
**Executive Summary**
Under Mission Poshan 2.0 and the 15th Finance Commission cycle, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is upgrading 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres into Saksham Anganwadis to improve nutrition and early childhood education. Key digital reforms include the 'Poshan Tracker' with facial recognition to ensure transparent ration distribution, alongside the expansion of the Palna Scheme to establish 17,000 Anganwadi-cum-Crèches by FY 2025-26. Significant milestones include the training of over 10 lakh workers and the successful upgrade of 1,04,403 centres as of March 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Saksham Anganwadi Infrastructure Upgrades**
* **Target:** 2,00,000 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) located in government buildings are being strengthened at a rate of 40,000 per year during the 15th FC cycle.
* **Facilities:** Enhanced infrastructure includes LED screens, water filtration systems, Poshan Vatika (nutrition gardens), Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) materials, and BALA (Building as Learning Aid) paintings.
* **Progress:** 1,04,403 centres have been upgraded to Saksham Anganwadis as of March 20, 2026.
**Digital Monitoring and Governance**
* **Poshan Tracker:** An ICT-based tool used for real-time data collection on AWC operations, child attendance, and growth monitoring for children aged 0–6 years.
* **Facial Recognition System (FRS):** Integrated into the tracker for last-mile monitoring of Take-Home Ration distribution to ensure benefits reach registered beneficiaries.
* **Transparency:** Aadhaar-based tracking is utilized to identify beneficiaries, prevent leakages, and eliminate "ghost entries."
**Capacity Building and Training**
* **Program:** Under the 'Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi' (PBPB) initiative, 41,648 State Level Master Trainers and 10,40,590 Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) have completed Round-1 training.
* **Focus:** Training emphasizes ECCE pedagogy and the delivery of quality nutritional services to build the capacity of the workforce.
**Childcare Expansion (Palna Scheme)**
* **Objective:** To increase women’s workforce participation by providing safe crèche facilities for children aged 6 months to 6 years.
* **Integration:** Childcare services are extended through Anganwadi-cum-Crèches (AWCC), providing nutritional support, health monitoring, and immunization.
* **Implementation:** 17,000 AWCCs are to be established by FY 2025-26; currently, 3,130 are operational.
* **Eligibility:** Crèche facilities are available to all mothers regardless of their employment status.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Anganwadi Workers (AWWs)**
**Impact**
AWWs are being transitioned into a digital governance framework through the Poshan Tracker and are receiving specialized training in pedagogy and nutrition.
**Action Required**
Complete mandated training rounds and utilize digital tools for daily attendance, growth monitoring, and ration distribution tracking.
**Stakeholder: Children (0–6 years) and Mothers**
**Impact**
Improved access to high-quality early education, better nutrition, and secure crèche facilities. Facial recognition and Aadhaar tracking ensure they receive their intended rations.
**Action Required**
Beneficiaries must be registered in the Poshan Tracker application with Aadhaar details to access services.
**Stakeholder: State Governments and UT Administrations**
**Impact**
As partners in the centrally sponsored Palna Scheme, they are responsible for the local implementation and partial funding of childcare facilities.
**Action Required**
Submit annual proposals for opening and operationalizing AWCCs to the Programme Approval Board (PAB) and contribute the required financial share for scheme implementation.
Key Entities Referenced
Mission Poshan 2.0: The primary national mission for nutrition and strengthening Anganwadi infrastructure through the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
Poshan Tracker: An ICT-based governance tool and digital application used for real-time monitoring of nutritional services, beneficiary tracking, and facial recognition-based distribution.
Palna Scheme: A centrally sponsored scheme under Mission Shakti focused on establishing Anganwadi-cum-Crèches to provide childcare facilities and increase women's workforce participation.
Saksham Anganwadis: Upgraded Anganwadi Centres equipped with modern infrastructure like LED screens, water filtration, and ECCE materials for improved nutrition and education delivery.
Umbrella Mission Shakti: The overarching policy framework containing the 'Samarthya' vertical under which the Palna scheme is implemented across States and UTs.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Under Mission Poshan 2.0, during 15th FC cycle
period, two lakh Anganwadi Centres located in
Government buildings being strengthened as
Saksham Anganwadis
Ministry of Women and Child Development developed Facial
Recognition System in Poshan Tracker Application for last
mile tracking of Take-Home Ration
‘Poshan Tracker’ digital application rolled out as ICT based
governance tool
Posted On: 25 MAR 2026 3:38PM by PIB Delhi
Under Mission Poshan 2.0, during the 15th FC cycle period, two lakh Anganwadi Centres located in
Government buildings @40,000 AWCs per year are being strengthened as Saksham Anganwadis for
delivery of improved nutrition and for Early Childhood Care and Education. 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 20.03.2026, a total 1,04,403
Anganwadi Centres have been upgraded as Saksham Anganwadi Centres across the country.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed Facial Recognition System (FRS) in
Poshan Tracker Application for last mile tracking of Take-Home Ration distribution and to ensure that
benefit is given only to the intended beneficiary registered in the application. Further, Aadhaar based
tracking has enabled proper identification of beneficiaries, prevention of leakages and eliminating ghost
entries.
As on 16th March, 2026, 41,648 State Level Master Trainers (SLMTs) and 10,40,590 Anganwadi Workers
(AWWs) have been trained in Round-1 of Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) Programme. AWWs have been
trained in Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) pedagogy and delivery of nutritional services. The
training intends to build capacity of the AWW in delivery of quality ECCE.
The ‘Poshan Tracker’ digital application has been rolled out as an ICT based governance tool for
monitoring and tracking of all activities in the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), AWWs and beneficiaries on
defined indicators. It has facilitated near real time data collection for Anganwadi Services such as, opening
of AWCs, daily attendance of children, ECCE activities, Growth Monitoring of children, Provision of
Supplementary Nutrition etc. Technology under Poshan Tracker is being leveraged for dynamic
identification of stunting, wasting, under-weight& overweight prevalence among children from 0-6 years
of age group. The State wise information on these indicators is available on the Poshan Tracker public
dashboard at: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics.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
and 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.
During the 15th Finance Cycle i.e. up to FY 2025-26, a total of 17,000 Anganwadi-cum-Creches (AWCCs)
are to be established under the Palna Scheme. Till date, 3,130 AWCCs are operational across the country.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri
Thakur in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.
****
SS
(Release ID: 2245023) Visitor Counter : 99
Read this release in: Urdu , ही