Lok Sabha Question No. 4604 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-28
Subject: Impact of Saksham Anganwadi on Malnutrition
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Mohite Patil Dhairyasheel Rajsinh, Dr. Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Smt. Supriya Sule, Shri Sanjay Dina Patil, Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad, Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya, Shri Rudra Narayan Pany, Shri Bhaskar Murlidhar Bhagare, Shri Bajrang Manohar Sonwane, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 4604 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.03.2025

## IMPACT OF SAKSHAM ANGANWADI ON MALNUTRITION

## 4604.  SMT. SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE:

PROF. VARSHA EKNATH GAIKWAD:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL DHAIRYASHEEL RAJSINH:

SHRI SANJAY DINA PATIL:

SHRI BAJRANG MANOHAR SONWANE:

SHRI BHASKAR MURLIDHAR BHAGARE:

SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:

SHRI RUDRA NARAYAN PANY:

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

- (a) the assistance being provided by the Government to the State Government to set up Saksham Anganwadi Centres;
- (b) the  total  number  of  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  upgraded  under  the  Saksham Anganwadi initiative till February, 2025 in the State of Maharashtra and the number of Saksham  Anganwadis  established  and  proposed  in  coming  days  in  Angul  and Dhenkanal districts of Odisha;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  assessment  on  the  impact  of  Saksham Anganwadi on child malnutrition and if so, the details of its findings and the steps taken to improve the nutritional outcomes under the scheme;
- (d) the number of AWCs that have received Smart Learning and ICT-based tools under the initiative;
- (e) whether the Government plans to increase remuneration and benefits for Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) to improve retention, in view of their shortage due to vacancies and low wages, if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether  the  studies  have  shown  that  Poshan-2.0  has  not  significantly  reduced malnutrition  levels  in  certain  regions,  if  so,  the  details  of  such  findings  including affected States and the measures being taken to address the shortcomings; and
- (g) whether many AWCs lack adequate infrastructure despite being classified as Saksham, if so, the details of such cases and reasons for the gap in implementation and corrective measures being taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (g) During the 15 th Finance Commission cycle, 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) located in Government buildings @ 40,000 AWCs per year are  to be strengthened and upgraded  as  Saksham  Anganwadis  for  improved  nutrition  delivery  and  for  Early Childhood  Care  and  Education  under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0. Saksham Anganwadis are to be provided with better infrastructure than the conventional

Anganwadi Centres including LED screens, water purifier/installation of RO Machine, Poshan  Vatika,  ECCE  related  books  and  learning  material  etc.  The  infrastructural facilities include the following:

| Pre-requisites required                    | Infrastructural facilities includes                                                                               |
|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| AWCsshould be in Government owned building | 1. LED and other Audio-Visual Aids with Wifi/Internet facility wherever feasible etc.                             |
| Availability of Electricity/power supply   | 2. Water filtration system/RO Machine etc.                                                                        |
| Drinking Water Facility                    | 3. BALA and ECCE Learning material etc.                                                                           |
| Functional Toilet                          | 4. Poshan Vatikas                                                                                                 |
| Functional Kitchen                         | 5.Other Components - Rain water harvesting, Clean storage facility, Any other item/works as per local requirement |

As on date, 2 Lakh Anganwadi Centers has been sanctioned for upgradation to Saksham Anganwadi Centres. In order to upgrade anganwadis into Saksham Anganwadis, Rs. 1 Lakh per AWC is provided as per the prescribed cost sharing ratio between the Centre and State/UT.

As on date, a total of 14,745 Anganwadi Centres in the State of Maharashtra, 53 in the district  Angul  and  779  in  the  district  Dhenkanal  from  the  State  of  Odisha  have  been approved for upgradation into Saksham Anganwadis.

Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  scheme.  The Central Government is responsible for policy and planning and the State Governments are responsible for day-to-day program implementation. Government of India increases the honorarium of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) from time to time. From 1 st October, 2018, Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of  AWWs at main-AWCs from Rs.3,000/- to Rs.4,500/- per month; AWWs at miniAWCs 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.

Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- is provided to AWWs and Rs.250/per  month  to  AWHs.  In  addition,  States/UTs  are  also  paying  additional  monetary incentives/honorarium to these functionaries from their own resources which vary from State to State.

With  a  view  to  incentivize  and  encourage  the  Anganwadi  Workers  (AWWs)  and Anganwadi  Helpers  (AWHs),  various  initiatives  have  been  undertaken  including  the following:

- i. 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.
- ii. 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.
- iii. 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.
- iv. 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.
- v. Healthcare annual 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.

Various rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted by Ministry of Health  &  Family  Welfare  since  1992-93  have  shown  improvement  in  malnutrition indicators in children across India. Details of these indicators for children since NFHS-1 to NFHS-5 are given below:

| NFHS Survey             | Stunting%   |   Underweight% |   Wasting% |
|-------------------------|-------------|----------------|------------|
| NFHS-1 (1992-93)*       | 52          |           53.4 |       17.5 |
| NFHS-2 (1998-99)**      | 45.5        |           47   |       15.5 |
| NFHS-3 (2005-6)***      | 48.0        |           42.5 |       19.8 |
| NFHS-4 (2015-16)***38.4 |             |           35.8 |       21   |
| NFHS-5 (2019-21)***35.5 |             |           32.1 |       19.3 |

* Under 4 years
- ** Under 3 years
- *** Under 5 years

The  above  table  gives  a  representative  picture  of  malnutrition  indicators  among  all children of 0-3 years, 0-4 years and 0-5 years age at the relevant time.

The projected population of all children up to 5 years in India for the year 2021 is 13.75 crores approximately (source: Population Projections for India and States 2011-2036, National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare). However, only 7.49 crores children up to 5 years were enrolled in Anganwadi's and registered on Poshan Tracker of the Ministry of Women & Child Development as per the February 2025 data. 7.25 crores of these children were measured on growth parameters of height and weight. 39.09% of them have been found to be stunted, 16.60% have been found to be underweight and 5.35% wasted.

Further, the projected population of all children in India up to 6 years for the year 2021 is approximately 16.1 crores. As per the February 2025 data of Poshan Tracker, 8.80 crores children (0-6 years) were enrolled in Anganwadis out of whom 8.52 crores were measured on growth parameters of height and weight. 37.75% of these children (0-6 years) have been found to be stunted and 17.19% children (0-6 years) have been found to be underweight.

The analysis of the above NFHS data and the Poshan Tracker data shows improvement in malnutrition indicators in children across India.

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