'Poshan Tracker' logs 8.93 crore beneficiaries, achieves nationwide coverage
New Delhi, July 8
The 'Poshan Tracker' has achieved nationwide coverage across all 28 States and 8 Union Territories, registering over 8.93 crore beneficiaries, the government said on Wednesday.
Mobile‑based 'Poshan Tracker' now supports dynamic monitoring of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme under Anganwadi Services and, as of May, recorded over 5.5 crore beneficiaries having received supplementary nutrition for at least 15 days while 5.17 crore received it for at least 21 days, according to an official statement.
The platform covers six beneficiary categories across the life cycle, from early childhood and adolescence to pregnancy and motherhood, reflecting the comprehensive and inclusive approach of 'Poshan Abhiyaan'.
The platform maintains a live monthly database tracking nutrition indicator for over 7.7 crore children using verified Aadhaar‑authenticated data.
It enables real-time dashboards, heat maps, and evidence-based policymaking.
The tracker also enabled growth monitoring for over 6.3 crore children aged 0-5 years, covering nearly 94 per cent of registered beneficiaries as of May 2026. The application tracks stunting, underweight, wasting (SAM/MAM), and overweight or obesity indicators.
Poshan Tracker is a mobile-based governance application that forms the digital backbone of POSHAN Abhiyaan and serves as the primary governance tool to strengthen digital monitoring under the Abhiyaan.
POSHAN Abhiyaan (Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) is India's flagship National Nutrition Mission focused on improving nutrition outcomes through convergence, technology and community mobilisation.
It works under a unified framework with time-bound targets, digital monitoring and a Jan Andolan approach, the statement noted.
'Poshan Tracker' captures data on Anganwadi infrastructure, service delivery, beneficiary coverage, and growth monitoring.
Anganwadi workers had to maintain 11 manual registers, before the launch of 'Poshan Tracker', which delayed decision-making and created service gaps. Further, lack of beneficiary authentication system or integration with state and central schemes, reduced efficiency in addressing malnutrition.
'Poshan Tracker' addressed these gaps through several technology-enabled features such as Aadhaar-Based Verification and Facial Recognition System (FRS).
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a mother, this gives me hope. The fact that 94% of children under 5 are now being tracked means we can finally catch malnutrition early. But we need to ensure the data is used effectively—not just collected for show.
Impressive coverage—8.93 crore beneficiaries is no joke. The Aadhaar-based verification should help reduce leakages. However, I hope the facial recognition system doesn't create authentication issues for children in remote areas where internet connectivity is patchy.
This is what digital India should look like—using technology for real social impact. From manual registers to real-time dashboards and heat maps, it's a leap forward. But the real test will be in improving ground-level delivery, especially in tribal areas.
The tracking of stunting and wasting indicators is crucial. As someone working in public health, I've seen how data gaps have hampered nutrition programs. This could be a game-changer if the data is actually used for evidence-based policymaking. 🙏
Kudos to the Anganwadi workers who are the backbone of this system! Going from 11 registers to a mobile app must be a big change. Hopefully, they've been given proper training and smartphones with good data plans. Otherwise, this tech won't reach the last mile.
R We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.