India’s Mission Poshan 2.0 Enhances Child Nutrition and Education
The Government of India has launched Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, an initiative aimed at combating malnutrition and improving early childhood care. This centrally sponsored scheme assigns the central government with policy-making responsibilities, while state governments and union territories oversee its day-to-day operations.
Mission Poshan 2.0 focuses on community mobilization and awareness to foster knowledge about nutrition. The initiative emphasizes that changing nutritional habits requires ongoing efforts. Regular sensitization activities are reported in blocks through Jan Andolans during Poshan Maahs in September and Poshan Pakhwadas celebrated in March and April. Community Based Events (CBEs) play a critical role in promoting healthier nutritional practices, requiring Anganwadi workers to organize two events each month.
Strengthening Anganwadi Centres
As part of the Mission, two lakh Anganwadi Centres, or AWCs, housed in government facilities are being upgraded to Saksham Anganwadis to provide improved nutrition and education. These upgraded centres offer better infrastructures, such as LED screens, water filtration systems, Poshan Vatikas (nutrition gardens), and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) materials, as well as visually engaging BALA paintings.
The PM JANMAN scheme aims at targeted development for 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) across the nation, sanctioning the construction of 2,500 Anganwadi Centres. Furthermore, the Dharti Abha Janjati Gram Unnat Abhiyan has also sanctioned 875 AWCs to enhance the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities.
Infrastructure Improvements and Monitoring
To bolster the infrastructure of Anganwadi Centres, the Ministry has significantly increased funding for essential amenities. The financial allocations for drinking water facilities have risen from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 17,000, while toilet funding has increased from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 36,000.
The Poshan Tracker, a digital tool, has been implemented to monitor and assess the infrastructure and services at Anganwadi Centres. This tool assists in tracking vital indicators like stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence among children. It facilitates real-time data collection on daily attendance, growth measurement, and the provision of meals and rations, providing valuable insights into program performance.
The Poshan Tracker is supported by a dedicated helpline, 1515, offering multilingual assistance for beneficiaries and Anganwadi Workers throughout diverse regions of India. This initiative aims for optimized service coverage and efficient implementation of the scheme.
Collaboration with Education Sector
On September 3, 2025, the Ministry of Education rolled out guidelines for co-locating Anganwadi Centres within government primary schools to enhance Early Childhood Care and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) services. The guidelines detail methods for co-location, promoting synergy between AWCs and primary schools, and areas where direct co-location is unfeasible are to be mapped accordingly.
Currently, data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) highlights that 299,546 Anganwadi Centres have already been co-located with government primary schools across the country. This integration aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emphasizing the importance of strong foundational education for children.
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