Lok Sabha Question No. 2296 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Functional Creches under Various Schemes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Sachithanantham R

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2296

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## FUNCTIONAL CRECHES UNDER VARIOUS SCHEMES

## 2296. SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of functional creches available under various central schemes, State-wise;
- (b) whether this number is adequate to meet the needs of working women in urban and rural areas, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of the steps being taken to expand creche coverage in rural and urban areas to benefit working women?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): The Ministry of women and Child Development has introduced Palna Scheme under the Samarthya Vertical of Umbrella Mission Shakti for all States and UTs w.e.f. 01 April 2022, to provide day care facilities and protection to children.

Government's sustained initiatives on education, skilling and employment of women have resulted in increased opportunities for their employment, and more and more women are now in gainful employment, working within or outside their homes. Lack of proper day-care services is, often, a deterrent for women to go out and work. Hence, there is an urgent need for improved quality and reach of day care services/crèches for working women amongst all socio-economic groups both in the organized and unorganized sectors.

To address these difficulties faced by the working mothers in giving due child care and protection to their children, day-care crèche facilities are being provided through Palna Scheme. Crèche services formalise the child care responsibilities hitherto considered as part of domestic work. Formalization of care work supports the 'decent work campaign' to achieve the Sustainable

Development Goal 8 -Decent work and economic growth. This will also enable more mothers, who will be free from unpaid child-care responsibilities, to take up gainful employment.

Anganwadi  centres  are  the  world's  largest  childcare  institutions  dedicated  to  providing essential care and support to children ensuring delivery of care facilities till the last mile. In a first of its  kind  approach, Ministry has extended the services of childcare through Anganwadi cum Crèche (AWCC). This will ensure whole day childcare support ensuring their well-being in a safe and secure environment. Anganwadi cum Crèche initiative aims to increase 'women work force participation' in the econom y. The objective of Palna Scheme is to provide quality crèche facility in safe and secure environment for children (from ages 6 months -6 years), nutritional support, health  and  cognitive  development  of  children,  growth  monitoring  &  immunization.  Crèche facilities under Palna are provided to all mothers, irrespective of their employment status.

Palna is a demand driven Scheme and the States/UTs are encouraged to send proposals for opening  more  Anganwadi-cum-Creches(AWCCs)  in  the  Programme  Approval  Board  (PAB) meetings which are held with the State Governments and UT Administrations annually. In the PAB  meetings,  proposed  AWCCs  are  approved  and  it  is  emphasized  to  operationalize  the approved AWCCs.

Till  date  2,820  Anganwadi-cum-Creches(AWCCs)  have  become  functional  across  the Country.  The  State/UT-wise  operational  Anganwadi-cum-Creches(AWCCs)  under  the  Palna Scheme is at Annexure

*****

## Annexure

## Annexure referred to in the reply to parts (a) to (c) of the Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 2296 for answer on 12.12.2025 regarding 'Functional creches under Various Schemes'

## State/UT-wise details of operational Anganwadi-cum-Creches (AWCCs)

| State/UT                                    | Operational AWCCs   |
|---------------------------------------------|---------------------|
| 1Andaman and Nicobar Islands                | 7                   |
| 2Arunachal Pradesh                          | 43                  |
| 3Assam                                      | 50                  |
| 4Bihar                                      | 85                  |
| 5Chandigarh                                 | 210                 |
| 6Chhattisgarh                               | 205                 |
| 7Delhi                                      | 502                 |
| 8Goa                                        | 9                   |
| 9Haryana                                    | 290                 |
| 10Jharkhand                                 | 80                  |
| 11Kerala                                    | 129                 |
| 12Ladakh                                    | 6                   |
| 13Meghalaya                                 | 84                  |
| 14Mizoram                                   | 200                 |
| 15Nagaland                                  | 270                 |
| 16Puducherry                                | 9                   |
| 17Punjab                                    | 144                 |
| 18Sikkim                                    | 25                  |
| 19Telangana                                 | 8                   |
| 20 Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 68                  |
| 21Tripura                                   | 114                 |
| 22Uttarakhand                               | 34                  |
| 23Karnataka                                 | 248                 |
| Total                                       | 2,820               |

*****