Lok Sabha Question No. 759 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-29
Subject: Training Programme for AWWs
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Mani A

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 759 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2024

## TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR AWWS

759. Shri Mani A:

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

- (a) the  number  of  Anganwadi  centers  that  are  currently  operational  across  the country, indicating the estimated reach of these centers among rural and urban populations;
- (b) the percentage of Anganwadi centers with basic facilities such as clean drinking water, sanitation and adequate space for activities;
- (c) whether any recommendations are pending with Government to improve the infrastructure and resources at Anganwadi centers, if so, the details thereof and the manner in which the Ministry is addressing gaps in essential facilities;
- (d) the list of training programmes available for Anganwadi workers and helpers to ensure effective delivery of services under ICDS; and
- (e) the details  of  training  initiatives  aimed  at  enhancing  the  skills  of  Anganwadi workers, particularly in child nutrition, health and early childhood education?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) Government of India has accorded high priority to the issue of malnutrition, it is implementing several schemes/programmes through different Ministries/Departments  through  States/UTs  to  address  various  aspects  related  to nutrition. The efforts under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme under Anganwadi Services  and  Poshan  Abhiyaan  have  been  realigned  and  converged  as  'Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0' (Mission Poshan 2.0). The State wise list of Anganwadi  Centres  that  are  currently  operational  across  the  country  is  placed  at annexure I.

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. As per the data from Poshan Tracker, drinking water facility is available in 11,47,213 AWCs and toilet facility is avaialble in 9,16,105 AWCs as of October 2024.

Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  there  is  a  provision  of construction of 50000 AWCs 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 MWCD per AWC to be shared between  Centre  and  States/UTs  in  the  prescribed  cost  sharing  ratio.  Further, States/UTs have also been advised to continue to tap funds for construction of AWC buildings  from  various  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.

During  the  15th  Finance  Commission  cycle,  2  lakh  Anganwadi  Centres  @  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.

Directions 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 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 real-time monitoring of the all activities in the Anganwadi.

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

(d) and (e) Government has launched Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB) initiative on 10th May, 2023 for upskilling of all anganwadi workers to build their capacity to provide early childhood care and education and nutrition service to children below six years of age.

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 27.11.2024 a total of 23,411 State Level Master Trainers (CDPOs, Supervisors and Additional Resource Persons) and 37,732 Anganwadi Workers have been trained across the country to deliver the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi programme.

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Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) of Lok Sabha Un-Starred Question No. 759 to be answered on 29.11.2024 regarding 'Training Programme for AWWs' by Shri Mani A.

## Statement indicating State wise operational Anganwadi Centres

| S. No   | State/UTs                        |   Operational AWCs as per State |
|---------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh                   |                           55607 |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh                |                            6225 |
| 3       | Assam                            |                           62093 |
| 4       | Bihar                            |                          114968 |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh                     |                           52382 |
| 6       | Goa                              |                            1261 |
| 7       | Gujarat                          |                           53065 |
| 8       | Haryana                          |                           25962 |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh                 |                           18925 |
| 10      | Jharkhand                        |                           38515 |
| 11      | Karnataka                        |                           65931 |
| 12      | Kerala                           |                           33120 |
| 13      | Madhya Pradesh                   |                           97329 |
| 14      | Maharashtra                      |                          110516 |
| 15      | Manipur                          |                           11523 |
| 16      | Meghalaya                        |                            6162 |
| 17      | Mizoram                          |                            2244 |
| 18      | Nagaland                         |                            3980 |
| 19      | Odisha                           |                           74192 |
| 20      | Punjab                           |                           27314 |
| 21      | Rajasthan                        |                           61885 |
| 22      | Sikkim                           |                            1308 |
| 23      | Tamil Nadu                       |                           54449 |
| 24      | Telangana                        |                           35700 |
| 25      | Tripura                          |                           10222 |
| 26      | Uttar Pradesh                    |                          189021 |
| 27      | Uttarakhand                      |                           20060 |
| 28      | West Bengal                      |                          119481 |
| 29      | A & N Islands                    |                             720 |
| 30      | Chandigarh                       |                             450 |
| 31      | Dadra & N Haveli and Daman & Diu |                             405 |
| 32      | Delhi                            |                           10897 |
| 33      | Jammu & Kashmir                  |                           28426 |
| 34      | Ladakh                           |                            1173 |
| 35      | Lakshadweep                      |                              59 |
| 36      | Puducherry                       |                             855 |
| Total   | Total                            |                         1396425 |

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