Lok Sabha Question No. 1147 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-08
Subject: Poshan Tracker App
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dayanidhi Maran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1147

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2023

## POSHAN TRACKER APP

## 1147. SHRI DAYANIDHI MARAN

Will the Minister of Women & Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether the Government is aware of the reports that child care workers facing challenges in using the Poshan Tracker app, including issues related to the unavailability  of  smart  phones  sponsored  by  the  Government,  poor  quality devices and unreliable internet connectivity, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) The measures being taken by the Government to ensure that child care workers have access to the necessary technology and support to effectively use the said app;
- (c) The manner in which the data collected is utilized to address the nutritional needs of children and mothers;
- (d) The plans of the Ministry to transition from accounting data to outcome-based metrics  to  assess  the  effectiveness  of  the  child  care  programs  in  reducing malnutrition; and
- (e) The steps taken by the Ministry to address language barriers and provide the app  in  the  locally  spoken  language  to  make  it  more  accessible  for  rural workers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) and (b): Out of the total operational 13.97 lakh  AWCs, nearly 13.94 lakh AWCs are  reporting  on  Poshan  Tracker.  Government  has  issued  Replacement  policy  of smartphones on 29 th  March 2023 under Poshan 2.0, that provides for replacement of devices, which are more than four years old. Further, taking into consideration the technological  advancements,  since  the  launch  of  POSHAN  Abhiyaan  in  2018,  the Revised specifications of smartphones under POSHAN Abhiyaan were issued on 28 th March 2023 which binds States/ UTs to procure 'high quality devices/ smart phones' with 4G/5G support. Good quality smartphones with higher specifications will not only help in better & timely data collection, but will also make life of Anganwadi Workers easier as entire programme management is now done through Poshan Tracker. The cost  of  smartphones  has  also  been  revised  to  Rs.11800/-  per  set  from  existing Rs.9440/- to ensure procurement of better and faster processing mobiles.

The  current  scheme  guidelines  of  Poshan  2.0  issued  dated  1 st   August, 2022   provides  ₹2000/-  each  year,  for  every   AWC,  as  data  package/internet connectivity charges. Regular trainings are being imparted to Anganwadi Workers for working on Poshan Tracker.

(c) to (e). To address the language barrier, the Poshan Trackerhas been made available in 22 languages. Technology under the Poshan Tracker is being leveraged for dynamic identification of stunting, wasting and underweight children and last mile tracking of nutrition service delivery for all the target beneficiaries that include children 0-6 years; PW& LMs; and adolescent girls in the age group 14-18 years from NE States and Aspirational Districts. Early identification of malnutrition cases, especially cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) help in timely management and treatment.

The  application  is  tracking  growth  measurement  of  nearly  7  crore  children monthly, providing invaluable data on nutrition status of children to States and UTs for necessary course corrections.To assess nutrition status of a child on real-time basis, World Health Organization Growth Charts have been integrated with Poshan Tracker, and the AWW sees the color coded status of a child based on nutrition status. Based on the measurement of more than 7 crores children over the last few months, the wasting levels in beneficiaries has been found to be less than 7% against NFHS 5 assessment of wasting at 19.3%.

Poshan Tracker has developed into a robust governance tool for recording and tracking nutrition-related data, facilitating timely targeted interventions and data-driven decision-making across all levels. Through Poshan Tracker, a robust data collection mechanism has been established to regularly monitor and analyze the collected data to  assess  progress  towards  the  defined  outcomes.  It  promotes  collaboration  and synergy among diverse stakeholders. Data sharing facilitates seamless coordination among  central,  state,  and  district  authorities,  fostering  a  unified  approach  for addressing malnutrition. The  Poshan  Tracker is built using centralized data architecture that also aligns with the digital technology systems of other ministries and programs.  Leveraging  the  power  of  data  and  analytics,  government  can  fine-tune strategies and interventions, to ensure maximum impact and sustainable outcomes. Further,  in  order  to  improve  the  program-related  outcomes,  service-delivery  and governance, RCH functionality is live on Poshan Tracker for Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers. The updated vaccination status of children can also be seen after integration with U-win.

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