Lok Sabha Question No. 1081 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-25
Subject: Honorarium to AWWs/AWHs and Mamta Didis
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Giridhari Yadav, Shri Kaushalendra Kumar, Dr. Indra Hang Subba, Md Abu Taher Khan, Shri Ramprit Mandal, Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1081

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2025

## HONORARIUM TO AWWS/AWHS AND MAMTA DIDIS

## 1081.  MD ABU TAHER KHAN:

SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV: SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV: DR. INDRA HANG SUBBA: SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR: SHRI RAMPRIT MANDAL:

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

- (a) the  amount the Government pay as honorarium to Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Assistant Workers (AWHs) and Mamta Didis;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to increase their honorarium, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  give  the  status  of  salaried  employee  to AWWs/AWHs and Mamta Didis, if so, the  details  thereof and  if not,  the  reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether child immunization incentives are being disbursed to AWWs on time and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d) In the 15 th  Finance Commission, components of nutritional support for children below the age of 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mother, Adolescent Girls; Early Childhood  Care  and  Education  (ECCE)  [3-6  years];  Anganwadi  infrastructure  including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadi have been reorganised under Mission Saksham Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  for  effective  implementation  of  the  scheme  and  for  better nutritional  delivery  to  end  beneficiaries.  Under  the  Mission,  following  six  services  are provided through the platform of Anganwadi Centres to the eligible beneficiaries:

- i. Supplementary Nutrition (SNP)
- ii. Pre-school Non-formal Education,
- iii. Nutrition & Health Education,
- iv. Immunization,
- v. Health Check-up, and
- vi. Referral Services

Three of the six services, viz., Immunization, Health check-up and Referral Services are related to health and are provided through National Health Mission (NHM) & Public Health Infrastructure.

Anganwadi  Workers  (AWWs)  and  Anganwadi  Helpers  (AWHs)  are  'honorary  workers' under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 from the local community who come forward to render their services in the area of child care and development to help the local community for which they are paid honorarium. Honorarium is given to AWWs and AWHs which is increased from time to time. From 1 st  October, 2018, Government of India has enhanced  the  honorarium  of  AWWs  at  Anganwadi  centres  (AWCs)  from  Rs.3,000/-  to Rs.4,500/-  per  month;  AWWs  at  mini-  AWCs  from  Rs.2,250/-  to  Rs.3,500/-  per  month; AWHs  from  Rs.1,500/-  to  Rs.2,250/-  per  month  as  per  the  defined  cost  sharing  ratio between the centre& the States/UTs. Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- is provided to AWWs and Rs.250/- per month to AWHs.

Incentive criteria for AWWs:

- i. Growth monitoring : The measurement should be done for at least 80% of children in 0-6 age group every month.
- ii. Home visits : Completing at least 60% of home visits to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children upto two years of age as per the home visit scheduler.

Incentive criteria for AWHs: Opening the AWC for at least 21 days in the month.

In addition, States/UTs are also paying additional monetary incentives/financial top ups to these voluntary workers from their own resources which vary from State to State.

Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, AWWs have been technologically empowered with the provision of smartphones for efficient monitoring and service delivery. Poshan Tracker which is a mobile phone application that has digitized physical registers used by Anganwadi workers. This improves the quality of their work while simultaneously enabling them for real-time monitoring of all activities going on in the Anganwadis.

To  incentivize  and  encourage  the  AWWs  and  AWHs,  various  initiatives  have  been undertaken including the following:

- i. Leave: 20 days annual leave and paid maternity absence of 180 days, paid absence on abortion/ miscarriage once for 45 days.
- ii. State  Governments  and  UT  Administrations  have  been  requested  to  encourage eligible  AWWs  and  AWHs  to  get themselves  enrolled  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri Shram  Yogi  Mandhan  (PM-SYM)  Pension  Scheme,  which  is  a  voluntary  and contributory pension scheme for the unorganized sectors in the country to ensure old age protection.
- iii. Promotion : Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  promotional opportunities for Anganwadi Workers have been enhanced. 50% posts of Anganwadi Workers are to be filled by Anganwadi Helpers with 5 years of experience and 50%

posts of Supervisors are to be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of experience subject to fulfilment of other criteria.

- iv. Social  Security  Insurance  Schemes:  Insurance  benefits  have  been  provided  to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life cover worth Rs.2.00 lakh (covers life risk, death due to any reason) in the age group of 18 to 50 years and under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana for accidental cover of Rs.2.00 Lakh (accidental death and permanent full disability) /Rs.1.00 Lakh (partial but permanent disability) in the age group of 18-59 years.
- v. Retirement date: States and UTs have been requested to adopt a uniform retirement date i.e 30 th  April of each year with respect to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers to ensure proper human resource planning.
- vi. Annual Healthcare coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to all Anganwadi workers and helpers in pursuance to budget announcement in FY 2024-25.

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