Will 2 Lakh Anganwadis Be Upgraded for Enhanced Nutrition and Early Childhood Care in 2025?
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Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Feb 6 (NationPress) The government has announced that 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres throughout the nation have received approval for transformation into Saksham Anganwadis, emphasizing better nutrition and early childhood care and education until December of the previous year, according to Annpurna Devi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, during a session in Parliament.
As part of Mission Poshan 2.0, these Anganwadi Centres located within government facilities will see an upgrade of 40,000 AWCs per year to become Saksham Anganwadis.
“These Saksham Anganwadis will feature superior infrastructure compared to traditional Anganwadi centres, including LED screens, a water filtration system, Poshan Vatika, ECCE materials, and BALA paintings,” stated Devi while responding to a question in the Lok Sabha.
The Minister also highlighted that through the Saksham Anganwadi initiative and Mission Poshan 2.0, technology is being utilized to enhance and ensure transparency in the nutrition delivery support systems at these centres.
Additionally, a ‘Poshan Tracker’ application has been launched to assist in monitoring and tracking all AWCs, Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and beneficiaries based on set indicators.
“The Poshan Tracker employs technology for the dynamic identification of stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence among children,” Devi mentioned.
This application has facilitated near real-time data collection for Anganwadi Services, including the opening and closing of AWCs, daily attendance, growth monitoring, early childhood care and education (ECCE) activities, and the distribution of hot cooked meals (HCM)/take home rations (THR-not raw rations).
The app also provides counseling videos on crucial behaviors and services, helping to spread information on birth preparedness, childbirth, post-natal care, breastfeeding, and complementary feeding.
Moreover, for efficient tracking of service delivery, a Facial Recognition System (FRS) has been integrated into the Poshan Tracker application to manage the distribution of Take-Home Rations, ensuring that benefits are allocated exclusively to the intended beneficiaries registered within the Poshan Tracker.