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2 Lakh Anganwadis Upgraded to Saksham Centres for Child Nutrition

The Union Government has approved the upgradation of two lakh Anganwadi Centres to Saksham Anganwadis under Mission Poshan 2.0 by December last year. These centres feature enhanced infrastructure including LED screens, water filtration, and educational materials. The 'Poshan Tracker' application enables real-time monitoring of services, beneficiary attendance, and child growth metrics. A Facial Recognition System within the app ensures targeted delivery of Take-Home Rations to intended beneficiaries.

Key Points: 2 Lakh Anganwadis Upgraded Under Mission Poshan 2.0

  • 2 lakh centres upgraded
  • Better infrastructure & nutrition
  • Poshan Tracker app for monitoring
  • Facial Recognition for last-mile delivery
2 min read

2 lakh Anganwadis upgraded for better nutrition, early childhood care in 2025: Govt

Govt upgrades 2 lakh Anganwadi centres to Saksham Anganwadis with better infrastructure, nutrition tracking, and Poshan Tracker app for real-time monitoring.

"Saksham Anganwadis are provided with better infrastructure... with LED screens, water filtration system, Poshan Vatika, ECCE material, and BALA paintings. - Annpurna Devi"

New Delhi, Feb 6

A total of 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres across the country have been approved for upgradation as Saksham Anganwadis with improved nutrition and early childhood care and education till December last year, Annpurna Devi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, told the Parliament on Friday.

Under Mission Poshan 2.0, two lakh Anganwadi Centres located in Government buildings at 40,000 AWCs per year are strengthened as Saksham Anganwadis.

"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," Devi said, while answering a query in the Lok Sabha.

The Minister said that under Saksham Anganwadi and Mission Poshan 2.0, IT systems have been leveraged to strengthen and bring about transparency in nutrition delivery support systems at the Anganwadi Centres.

In addition, the 'Poshan Tracker' application was rolled out to facilitate monitoring and tracking of all AWCs, Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and beneficiaries on defined indicators.

"Technology under Poshan Tracker is also being leveraged for dynamic identification of stunting, wasting, and under-weight prevalence among children," Devi said.

It has also facilitated near real-time data collection for Anganwadi Services, such as opening and closing of AWCs, daily attendance of children, growth monitoring of children, early childhood care and education (ECCE) activities, delivery of hot cooked meal (HCM)/take home ration (THR-not raw ration), growth measurement, etc.

The App also offers counselling videos on key behaviours and services which help disseminate messages on birth preparedness, delivery of the child, post-natal care, breastfeeding, and complementary feeding.

Further, for last-mile tracking of Service Delivery, a Facial Recognition System (FRS) has been developed in the Poshan Tracker Application for the distribution of Take-Home Ration to ensure that benefit is given only to the intended beneficiary registered in Poshan Tracker.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Poshan Tracker app sounds promising for transparency. But the real test is on the ground. Will the AWWs in remote areas have reliable internet to use it? And what about increasing their honorarium? They are the backbone of this system.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has worked with NGOs in early childhood education, the focus on ECCE material and BALA paintings is excellent. Play-based learning is crucial at that age. The facial recognition for ration distribution is also a smart use of tech to prevent leakage.
A
Arjun K
Good initiative, but 2 lakh centres upgraded till *last* December? The article says "for 2025" in the subject. A bit confusing. Hope the pace picks up. Our children's nutrition cannot wait. Also, Poshan Vatika (nutrition garden) is a brilliant idea - teaches kids about healthy food from the start.
K
Kavya N
The counselling videos for mothers on breastfeeding and postnatal care are so important! In many families, new mothers rely on old myths. Having accessible, correct information through the Anganwadi worker can save lives. Jai Hind!
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Michael C
While the tech integration is impressive, I hope there's equal focus on the quality of the hot cooked meal. It's not just about tracking delivery, but what's in the meal. Regular audits for nutrition and taste are needed. A child won't benefit from a tracked meal they refuse to eat.

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