The Poshan Abhiyaan is a comprehensive nutrition plan launched on March 8, 2018, aimed at improving the nutritional levels of children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. As part of this initiative, an 'Incremental Learning Approach' (ILA) has been adopted to enhance the capacity of Anganwadi workers.
The 15th Finance Commission, addressing the issue of malnutrition, the Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan, and the scheme for adolescent girls aged 14-18 (implemented in aspirational districts and the northeastern region) have been included under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0).
Mission Poshan 2.0, Anganwadi workers have been provided smartphones to effectively monitor and deliver nutrition services. The nutrition supply system at Anganwadi centers has been made transparent through an IT system, making it easier to identify issues like stunting, low weight, and malnutrition in children (0-6 years). Thanks to this digital system, real-time data collection is now possible for Anganwadi services such as daily attendance, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), provision of hot cooked meals (HCM) or take-home rations (THR), and monitoring children's growth.
Reduced Workload and Online Training: Anganwadi workers no longer need to maintain physical registers, which has reduced their workload. Training modules related to nutrition and early care and education are now available online through the 'Poshan Tracker.'
'Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi' Initiative: Additionally, the 'Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi' (PBPB) initiative was launched on May 10, 2023. Its goal is to train Anganwadi workers to provide better nutrition and care services to children under six years of age. So far, under this program, 31,114 SLMTs (CDPOs, supervisors, and additional resource persons) and 1,45,481 Anganwadi workers have been trained across the country.
Incentive Scheme for Anganwadi Workers: A key component of Mission Poshan 2.0 is providing monthly incentives to Anganwadi workers (AWWs) and helpers (AWHs). To ensure the provision of better nutrition and health services and to encourage behavior change, AWWs are given an incentive of Rs. 500 per month, while AWHs receive Rs. 250 per month. This incentive is provided for tasks like growth measurement of children, home visits, and smooth operation of Anganwadi centers.
