**Executive Summary**
This document outlines various steps undertaken by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to improve infrastructure and services at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0. Key initiatives include the construction of new AWCs, technological empowerment of existing centers, and the rollout of the Poshan Tracker application for enhanced monitoring. The program is centrally sponsored and implemented by State Governments and UT administrations, with a budget allocation extending until 2025-26.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Infrastructure Development and Construction**
* Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, 50,000 AWCs are being constructed during the 15th Finance Commission cycle, at a rate of 10,000 per year.
* Funding for AWC construction includes contributions from MGNREGS (Rs.8.00 Lakh), the 15th Finance Commission (Rs.2.00 Lakh), and MWCD (Rs.2.00 Lakh shared between Centre and States/UTs).
* States/UTs are encouraged to utilize funds from schemes like MPLADS, RIDF, Finance Commission Grants, and MSDP for AWC construction.
* Specific initiatives like PM JANMAN, Dharti Abha Janjatiye Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, and VVP are targeting the development of AWCs for tribal populations and in northern border areas.
* Funding for drinking water facilities at AWCs has been increased from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.17,000/-, and for toilets from Rs.12,000/- to Rs.36,000/-.
* Two lakh AWCs in government buildings are being strengthened as Saksham Anganwadis for improved nutrition and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
**Technological Empowerment and Monitoring**
* AWCs are being technologically empowered with smartphones and growth monitoring devices for efficient service delivery and monitoring.
* The Poshan Tracker application has been rolled out as a governance tool for monitoring and tracking AWCs, workers, and beneficiaries.
* Poshan Tracker leverages technology for the dynamic identification of stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence among children.
* Near real-time data collection for Anganwadi services such as AWC opening, attendance, ECCE activities, growth monitoring, and meal provision is facilitated by Poshan Tracker.
* A Facial Recognition System (FRS) has been developed for last-mile tracking of service delivery, specifically for Take-Home Ration (THR), to ensure benefits reach intended beneficiaries.
* A Nominee Module has been introduced in Poshan Tracker to ensure uninterrupted THR delivery to eligible women and girls, allowing for a nominated beneficiary to collect THR if the primary beneficiary cannot.
**Co-location and Budget Allocation**
* Guidelines for co-locating AWCs within Government Primary Schools have been jointly launched to strengthen ECCE and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) services.
* Where physical co-location is not feasible, AWCs are to be mapped with the nearest primary school.
* The budget allocation for Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 from 2022-23 to 2025-26 is as follows:
* 2022-23: ₹20,294.58 crore
* 2023-24: ₹20,554.31 crore
* 2024-25: ₹21,200.00 crore
* 2025-26: ₹21,960.00 crore
**Impact Analysis**
**Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)**
* **Impact:** Improved infrastructure, enhanced technological capabilities, better monitoring and service delivery, increased access to nutrition and ECCE.
* **Action Required:** To implement infrastructure upgrades, utilize provided technology, and adhere to monitoring protocols.
**Anganwadi Workers**
* **Impact:** Equipped with smartphones and growth monitoring devices, enabled for efficient service delivery, enhanced data collection capabilities, and improved beneficiary identification through FRS and Nominee Module.
* **Action Required:** To utilize new technological tools for service delivery, monitoring, and data reporting; to comply with FRS and Nominee Module procedures for THR distribution.
**Beneficiaries (Children, Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers, Adolescent Girls)**
* **Impact:** Improved nutritional support, enhanced ECCE services, more reliable access to Take-Home Ration through FRS and Nominee Module, and better monitoring of health and growth indicators.
* **Action Required:** To comply with e-KYC and face matching procedures for receiving Take-Home Ration; to participate in growth monitoring and ECCE activities.
**State Governments and UT Administrations**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme, tasked with AWC construction, infrastructure upgrades, and technological integration.
* **Action Required:** To coordinate and implement the initiatives as per scheme guidelines, tap into various funding sources, and ensure timely execution of infrastructure development and technological adoption.
**Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD)**
* **Impact:** Overseeing the implementation of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, developing and deploying key technologies like Poshan Tracker and FRS, and ensuring budget allocation.
* **Action Required:** To continue monitoring and supporting the implementation of the scheme, further developing and refining technological tools, and ensuring effective resource allocation.
**NITI Aayog**
* **Impact:** Conducted third-party evaluation and impact assessments of the mission.
* **Action Required:** To continue with assessments as per established timelines.
Key Entities Referenced
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: A major initiative aimed at improving infrastructure and services at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), focusing on technology, nutrition, and early childhood care.
Poshan Tracker: An application rolled out as a governance tool for monitoring and tracking AWCs, workers, and beneficiaries, leveraging technology for data collection and identification.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: The primary government ministry responsible for the implementation and oversight of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
15th Finance Commission: Contributes funds for the construction and strengthening of Anganwadi Centres, including specific allocations for infrastructure and Saksham Anganwadis.
NITI Aayog: Conducts third-party evaluations and impact assessments of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Various steps undertaken to improve
infrastructure facilities at Anganwadi Centres
under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan
2.0
AWCs technologically empowered with provision of
smartphones and growth monitoring devices for efficient
monitoring & delivery of services
Poshan Tracker application has been rolled out as an
important governance tool facilitating monitoring and
tracking
Posted On: 11 MAR 2026 4:35PM by PIB Delhi
Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, various steps have been undertaken to improve the
infrastructure facilities at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). During 15th Finance Commission cycle, 50,000
Anganwadi Centres are being constructed @10000 AWCs per year in convergence with MGNREGS
wherein Rs.8.00 Lakh is provided under MGNREGS, Rs.2.00 Lakh under 15th Finance Commission (FC)
(or any other untied funds) and Rs.2.00 Lakh by MWCD per AWC shared between Centre and States/UTs
in the prescribed cost sharing ratio.
Further, States/UTs have also been advised to continue to tap funds for construction of AWC buildings
from various schemes such as Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), Rural
Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), Finance Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions,
Multi- Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) of Ministry of Minority Affairs, etc.
Various other initiatives have been undertaken for construction of AWCs under PM JANMAN and Dharti
Abha Janjatiye Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan for the targeted development of Tribal population and VVP
(Vibrant Village Programme) - Phase I, focusing on Northern border areas.
Also, in order to improve the infrastructure facilities at AWCs various steps have been undertaken by the
Ministry that, inter alia, include increasing the funding for drinking water facilities and toilets at
Anganwadi Centres from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.17,000/- and Rs.12,000/- to Rs.36,000/- respectively.
Under Mission Poshan 2.0, two lakh AWCs 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 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, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) material and Building as Learning Aid (BALA)
paintings.In convergence with Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education Guidelines for
Co-locating AWCs within Government Primary Schools have been jointly launched on 3rd September,
2025 to strengthen ECCE and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) services. In places where
physical co-location is not possible, AWCs are to be mapped with the nearest primary school.
Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, AWCs have been technologically empowered with
the provision of smartphones and growth monitoring devices for efficient monitoring and delivery of
services.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored scheme. The implementation of the
scheme falls under the ambit of State Governments and UTs administrations. The State and UT wise
details of infrastructure is available at the link: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics.
The details of budget allocation for the year 2020-21 to 2025-26 in respect of Mission Saksham
Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 are given as under:
(Rupees in crore)
Sl. No. Financial Year Budget Allocation (BE)
1 2022-23 20,294.58
2 2023-24 20,554.31
3 2024-25 21,200.00
4 2025-26 21,960.00
A third-party evaluation and impact assessments of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 were
conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020 and again in 2025. They have found its relevance to be satisfactory for
tackling malnutrition in the country.
Poshan Tracker application has been rolled out as an important governance tool facilitating monitoring
and tracking of all AWCs, Anganwadi workers and beneficiaries on defined indicators. Technology under
Poshan Tracker is being leveraged for dynamic identification of stunting, wasting and under-weight
prevalence among children. 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 Hot Cooked Meal (HCM) and Take Home Ration (THR), Growth Measurement etc.
For last mile tracking of Service Delivery, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has
developed Facial Recognition System (FRS) for distribution of Take-Home Ration to ensure that benefit is
given only to the intended beneficiary registered in Poshan Tracker after establishing their identity.
The Nominee Module has been introduced in Poshan Tracker to ensure uninterrupted delivery of Take-
Home Ration (THR) to all Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers, and Adolescent Girls under Saksham
Anganwadi and Mission Poshan 2.0. If due to any reason, the registered beneficiary (Pregnant Women,
Lactating Mother and Adolescent girl) is unable to visit the Anganwadi Centre to receive their THR
through FRS, she can nominate a nominee on her behalf to receive her THR. Nominee has to undergo e-
KYC only ONCE. But face matching will be done every time for receiving THR on behalf of the
beneficiary. Even after addition of the nominee, beneficiary can still receive the THR at the Anganwadi
Center if the nominee has not received it already.This information was given by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Annpurna
Devi in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question today.
****
SS
(Release ID: 2238267) Visitor Counter : 124
Read this release in: Urdu , ही