Lok Sabha Question No. 3481 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Digitisation of Anganwadi Centres
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Shri Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Shri Shankar Lalwani, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 3481 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2026

## DIGITISATION OF ANGANWADI CENTRES

3481.   SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI: SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY: SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

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

- (a) whether the Government has undertaken a comprehensive programme for the digital upgradation  of  Anganwadi  Centres,  pursuant  to  the  restructured  Integrated  Child Development Services (ICDS)/Mission Poshan framework across the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  number  of  Anganwadi  Centres  that  have  been  provisioned  with  digital hardware and software infrastructure, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets and computerised data-entry systems, State/UT-wise; and
- (c) whether any outcome-based assessment has been undertaken to quantify the impact of such  digitalisation  on  nutrition  surveillance,  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education (ECCE), beneficiary authentication and service-delivery efficiencies if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a)  &  (b):  Saksham  Anganwadi  Centre  refers  to  an  upgraded  and  modern  version  of  the traditional Anganwadi Centre, introduced under the Saksham Anganwadi and Mission Poshan 2.0.  These  Centers  are  equipped  with  modern  digital  software  and  hardware  infrastructure including internet/Wi-Fi connectivity, LED screens, water purifier/installation of RO machines and  smart  learning  aids,  audio-visual  aids,  child-friendly  learning  equipment  and  artwork (educational painting, practice board for children, information board).  Such centers are aimed at  ensuring  improved  nutrition  delivery  and  stimulating  the  creative,  social,  emotional, cognitive and intellectual development of children (3- 6 years of age) under Early Childhood Care and Education. 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) have been approved for five years under Mission Poshan 2.0 for upgradation as Saksham Anganwadi Centres.

The 'Poshan Tracker' digital application has also been rolled out as an important ICT based governance  tool  for  monitoring  and  tracking  of  all  AWCs,  AWWs  and  beneficiaries  on defined indicators.

Further, the Ministry releases funds to all States and UTs for procurement of Smart Phones to Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Lady Supervisors and Block Coordinators for registration, data entry, tracking and monitoring of all beneficiaries, in the Poshan Tracker application. Funds for  Growth  Monitoring  Devices  (Infantometer  and  Stadiometer  for  length  and  height measurement,  Weighing  Scale-Infant  and  Weighing  Scale-Mother  &  Child  for  weight measurement of the beneficiaries) are also released to all the States and UTs. An amount of ₹10,000+ GST per Smart phone and ₹8,000/ - for a set of 4 GMDs is provided by the Central Government on cost-sharing basis.

State and UT wise number of Anganwadi Centres upgraded to Saksham Anganwadi as on 9th March 2026 is placed at Annexure.

(c) An outcome-based evaluation study of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 was conducted by Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog (2025). As per the study, evidence from institutional assessments and household surveys indicates that digitalization through Poshan Tracker Application has a multi-dimensional impact on nutrition monitoring,  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education  (ECCE),  beneficiary  authentication,  and service delivery efficiency. The Report also highlighted Poshan Tracker as a significant shift from manual, paper-based systems to a technology-enabled governance framework under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP). As per the report Poshan Tracker, introduced by MoWCD, has become the cornerstone for digital monitoring of beneficiaries, inventory, and service delivery at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs).

Annexure THE STATE AND UTS WISE NUMBER OF AWCS UPGRADED INTO SAKSHAM ANGANWADI AS ON 09.03.2026

|   S. No. | State name        | Total sanctionedAWCs upgraded into Saksham Anganwadi   | Total sanctionedAWCs upgraded into Saksham Anganwadi   |
|----------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Arunachal Pradesh | 152                                                    | 152                                                    |
|        2 | Andhra Pradesh    | 9,958                                                  | 9,958                                                  |
|        3 | Assam             | 5,407                                                  | 5,407                                                  |
|        4 | Chandigarh        | 69                                                     | 69                                                     |
|        5 | Ladakh            | 14                                                     | 14                                                     |
|        6 | Manipur           | 30                                                     | 30                                                     |
|        7 | Nagaland          | 149                                                    | 149                                                    |
|        8 | Sikkim            | 435                                                    | 435                                                    |
|        9 | Mizoram           | 1,600                                                  | 1,600                                                  |
|       10 | Meghalaya         | 121                                                    | 121                                                    |
|       11 | Karnataka         | 17,732                                                 | 17,732                                                 |
|       12 | Tripura           | 474                                                    | 474                                                    |
|       13 | Maharashtra       | 14,745                                                 | 14,745                                                 |
|       14 | Goa               | 24                                                     | 24                                                     |
|       15 | Jammu &Kashmir    | 338                                                    | 338                                                    |
|       16 | Andaman &Nicobar  | 140                                                    | 140                                                    |
|       17 | Lakshadweep       | 18                                                     | 16                                                     |
|       18 | Uttar Pradesh     | 23,697                                                 | 18,798                                                 |
|       19 | Tamil Nadu        | 11,972                                                 | 6,390                                                  |
|       20 | Puducherry        | 135                                                    | 63                                                     |
|       21 | Kerala            | 4,152                                                  | 1,826                                                  |
|       22 | Uttarakhand       | 827                                                    | 350                                                    |
|       23 | Chhattisgarh      | 11,490                                                 | 4,750                                                  |
|       24 | West Bengal       | 5,359                                                  | 2,122                                                  |
|       25 | Madhya Pradesh    | 24,662                                                 | 8,038                                                  |
|       26 | Bihar             | 11,529                                                 | 3,414                                                  |
|       27 | Odisha            | 12,140                                                 | 3,627                                                  |
|       28 | Telangana         | 5,008                                                  | 500                                                    |
|       29 | Gujarat           | 13,147                                                 | 1,250                                                  |
|       30 | Jharkhand         | 16,775                                                 | 1,118                                                  |
|       31 | Rajasthan         | 3,514                                                  | 213                                                    |
|       32 | Himachal Pradesh  | 1,030                                                  | 35                                                     |
|       33 | Haryana           | 2,804                                                  | 30                                                     |
|       34 | Punjab            | 353                                                    | 12                                                     |