Lok Sabha Question No. 4211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-20
Subject: Upgradation of Anganwadis in Kerala
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Kodikunnil Suresh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4211

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2024

## UPGRADATION OF ANGANWADIS IN KERALA

## 4211.  SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government for the modernization and upgradation of Anganwadis to improve infrastructure and service delivery in Kerala;
- (b) whether the Government  has  initiated any specific schemes  to equip Anganwadis with digital learning facilities, child-friendly infrastructure, hygienic amenities and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the total funds  allocated, released  and  utilized for the upgradation  of Anganwadis in Kerala under the ICDS scheme during the last three years;
- (d) the number of Anganwadis currently operating in rented or temporary spaces and the measures being taken to provide permanent buildings for centres in Kerala;
- (e) whether the Government has formulated any plans to enhance the training and capacity-building of Anganwadi workers in Kerala and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the  details  regarding  implementation  of  Poshan  Abhiyaan  in  Kerala  and  its impact on improving nutrition levels through Anganwadis?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a)  to  (d)  During  the  15th  Finance  Commission  cycle,  2  lakh  Government  owned Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  @  40,000  AWCs  per  year  are  to  be  upgraded  as Saksham Anganwadis for improved nutrition delivery and for early childhood care and development  under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0.  Saksham Anganwadis are equipped with infrastructure better than the conventional Anganwadi Centres by providing LED screens, water purifier/installation of RO Machine, Poshan Vatika,  ECCE  and  BALA  Paintings.  As  on  date,  the  total  AWCs  approved  for upgradation  as  Saksham  AWCs  is  1,70,337  including  1960  AWCs  in  the  State  of

Kerala for which funds amounting to Rs. 11.76 crore have been allocated during the last three years for upgradation.

As per Poshan Tracker data, a total of 33120 AWCs are operational in the State of Kerala out of which 7229 AWCs are operational in rented buildings. District wise detail of Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) operating in rented buildings (as per Poshan tracker data, November, 2024) in Kerala is as under:

| S No.   | District           |   No. of AWCsoperating in rented buildings |
|---------|--------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Alappuzha          |                                        934 |
| 2       | Ernakulam          |                                        675 |
| 3       | Idukki             |                                        168 |
| 4       | Kannur             |                                        290 |
| 5       | Kasargod           |                                        100 |
| 6       | Kollam             |                                        836 |
| 7       | Kottayam           |                                        639 |
| 8       | Kozhikode          |                                        454 |
| 9       | Malappuram         |                                        696 |
| 10      | Palakkad           |                                        407 |
| 11      | Pathanamthitta     |                                        489 |
| 12      | Thiruvananthapuram |                                       1045 |
| 13      | Thrissur           |                                        419 |
| 14      | Wayanad            |                                         77 |
|         | Total              |                                       7229 |

Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  there  is  a  provision  of construction of 50000 AWC buildings over a period of five years @10000 AWCs per year.  The  cost  norms  for  construction  of  Anganwadi  Centres  in  convergence  with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been revised from Rs.7 Lakh per AWC to Rs.12 Lakh per AWC wherein Rs.8.00 Lakh would be provided under MGNREGS, Rs.2.00 Lakh under 15 th  Finance Commission (FC) (or any other untied funds) and Rs.2.00 Lakh by Central and State Government in  prescribed  cost  sharing  ratio.  Further,  States/UTs  have  also  been  advised  to continue to tap funds for construction of AWC buildings from various other schemes such as Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), Finance Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Multi- Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) of Ministry of Minority Affairs, etc. A total of 172 AWCs have been sanctioned for construction to State of Kerala in the past three years in  convergence  with  Mahatma  Gandhi  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme (MGNREGS).

In  order  to  improve  the  infrastructure  facilities  at  the  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs) various steps have been undertaken by the Ministry that, inter alia, include increasing the funding for drinking water facilities and toilets from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.17,000/- per AWC and Rs.12,000/- to Rs.36,000/- per AWC respectively.

Advisories have been issued to States/UTs to co-locate Anganwadi Centres, which are running on rent without sufficient infrastructure, at nearby Primary Schools, where space is available.

Further, Government has also decided to upgrade all Mini AWCs with only one worker to full-fledged Anganwadi Centres with one worker and one helper each.

Under Mission Poshan 2.0, Anganwadi workers (AWWs) have been technologically empowered with  the  provision  of  smartphones  for  efficient  monitoring  and  service delivery. The mobile application Poshan Tracker digitizes physical registers used by Anganwadi  workers.  This  improves  the  quality  of  their  work  while  simultaneously allowing them extra time to monitor all activities in the Anganwadi.

In addition to  AWWs,  Smartphones  are  provided  to  Supervisors and Block Coordinators  also.  Similarly,  data  recharge  support  is  also  provided  to  AWWs, Supervisors and Block Coordinators.

Regular monitoring of growth parameters is essential for identifying children who may be  malnourished  and  to  make  timely  interventions.  Therefore,  Anganwadi  centres have been equipped with Growth Monitoring Devices like infantometer, stadiometer, weighing scale-infant, weighing scale - Mother & Child.

(e) Government of India launched Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) initiative on 10th May, 2023 for upgrading skills of all anganwadi workers to strengthen their capacity to provide early childhood care and education and nutrition service to children below six years of age, including divyang children.

Capacity Building of Anganwadi Workers is envisioned as the first step in transforming the Anganwadi into a Learning Centre which should have High-quality infrastructure, play equipment and well trained Anganwadi workers. Under this programme, Ministry of Women & Child Devlopment focuses on a Two Tier Training Model. NIPCCD is entrusted with Capacity Building of Anganwadi functionaries under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi through its Headquarters at New Delhi and five Regional Centres located across the country.

Tier I involves training of State Level Master Trainers (SLMTs), comprising CDPOs, Supervisors  &  State-Nominated  Additional  Resource  Persons,  through  NIPCCD Headquarters and its five Regional Centres. They are trained for 2 days, in a hybrid model comprising both online and offline (in person) trainings. Further, Tier II involves 3-day  training  workshop  in  physical  mode  for  the  Anganwadi  workers  across  the country.

To  empower  the  Anganwadi  workers  and  ensure  optimal  learning  for  all  children including Divyang children, this Ministry has developed two curriculum frameworks 'Navchetana- National Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation for Children from Birth to 3 Years' and 'Aadharshila- National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education for Children from 3 to 6 Years' under Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi programme.

As on 16.12.2024 a total of 25,938 State Level Master Trainers (CDPOs, Supervisors and Additional Resource Persons) and 71,845 Anganwadi Workers have been trained across the country including State of Kerala to deliver the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi programme.

(f) Under the 15th Finance Commission, various components like Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (of 14-18 years in Aspirational Districts and North-Eastern region) have been subsumed under the umbrella Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) to address the challenge of  malnutrition  through  improved  nutrition  content  and  delivery.  It  is  a  Centrally Sponsored  mission,  where  the  responsibility for implementation  lies with the States/UTs.

Under this Mission, a new strategy has been made for reduction in malnutrition and for  improved  health,  wellness  and  immunity  through  activities  like  community engagement, outreach, behavioural change, and advocacy. It focuses on Maternal Nutrition,  Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  Norms,  treatment  of  Severe  Acute Malnutrition (SAM)/ Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and wellness through AYUSH practices to reduce prevalence of wasting, stunting, anaemia and being underweight. Under this scheme, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years),  Pregnant  Women,  Lactating  Mothers  and  Adolescent  Girls  to  beat  the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition by adopting a life cycle approach. Supplementary nutrition is provided in accordance with the nutrition norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act. These norms have been revised and upgraded last year. The old norms were largely calorie-specific; however, the revised norms are more comprehensive and balanced in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the principles of diet diversity that provides quality protein, healthy fats and micronutrients. Fortified rice is being supplied to AWCs to meet the requirement of micro-nutrients and to control anaemia among women and children. Greater emphasis is being laid on the use of millets for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal at least once a week and Take Home ration at Anganwadi centers. Ministries of Women & Child Development and Health & Family Welfare have jointly released the protocol for Community Management of Malnutrition (CMAM) to prevent and treat severely acute malnutrition in children and for reducing associated morbidity and mortality. Under this Mission, one of the major activities undertaken is Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy leading to a Jan Andolan to educate people on nutritional aspects. State and UTs are conducting and reporting regular sensitisation activities under  community  engagement  programmes  during  Poshan  Maahs  and  Poshan Pakhwadas  celebrated  in  the  months  of  September  and  March-April  respectively. Community Based Events (CBEs) have served as a significant strategy in changing nutritional  practices  and  all  Anganwadi  workers  are  required  to  conduct  two

Community Based Events every month.

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