Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: Six Services and Nutrition Gardens
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has highlighted the comprehensive services provided under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, including the development of nutrition gardens to promote dietary diversity. This update is relevant for understanding the government's ongoing efforts to combat malnutrition and improve early childhood care.
Background
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme that aims to address malnutrition and provide integrated services to children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. It is an umbrella scheme that includes the Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyan, and other related initiatives.
Key facts
Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, six services are provided through Anganwadi Centers: Supplementary Nutrition (SNP), Pre-school Informal Education, Nutrition & Health Education, Immunization, Health Check-up, and Referral Services.
Three health-related services (immunization, health check-up, referral) are provided through the National Health Mission (NHM) and public health infrastructure.
Eligible beneficiaries include children up to 6 years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers across the country, and adolescent girls (14-18 years) in aspirational districts and all districts of the North Eastern Region.
Two lakh Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) in government buildings have been approved as Saksham Anganwadi in the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
Saksham Anganwadi Centers are provided with LED screens, water purification systems, nutrition gardens, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) material, and BaLA paintings.
For Uttar Pradesh, 23,697 Anganwadi Centers have been approved for upgrade to Saksham Anganwadi, including 206 in Ghaziabad district.
Performance-based incentives of ₹500 and ₹250 per month are given to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers for completing development monitoring of at least 80% children (0-6 years) and at least 60% planned home visits.
The Ministry provides funds for smartphones for Anganwadi Workers, supervisors, and block coordinators to use the Poshan Tracker app for beneficiary registration, data entry, tracking, and monitoring.
Growth monitoring devices (infantometer, stadiometer, newborn weighing scale, mother-infant weighing scale) are also funded.
Nutrition gardens are developed at Anganwadi Centers to provide fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants, and herbs, addressing dietary diversity gaps.
Prelims pointers
- Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- Six services: Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-school Informal Education, Nutrition & Health Education, Immunization, Health Check-up, Referral Services.
- Health services provided via National Health Mission (NHM).
- Saksham Anganwadi: 2 lakh AWCs upgraded in 15th Finance Commission cycle.
- Poshan Tracker app for real-time monitoring.
- Nutrition gardens (Poshan Vatikas) at AWCs.
- Performance-based incentives: ₹500 for workers, ₹250 for helpers.
- Smartphone funding: ₹10,000 + GST per phone, ₹8,000 for 4GMD set.
- Target beneficiaries: children up to 6 years, pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls (14-18) in aspirational districts and NE region.
- Growth monitoring categories: normal, underweight, stunting, SAM, MAM.
Mains angles
- GS2: Government policies and interventions for the welfare of women and children; issues of malnutrition and health.
- GS2: Role of Anganwadi centers in early childhood care and education; challenges and reforms.
- GS3: Use of technology (Poshan Tracker) in governance and service delivery.
- GS2: Nutritional security and food diversity; community participation through nutrition gardens.