“The Indian government unveiled a revamped Anganwadi Nutrition Program on June 24, 2025, targeting child malnutrition with enhanced food quality, digital monitoring, and community involvement. The initiative aims to strengthen early childhood care, improve nutritional outcomes, and integrate advanced technology to ensure effective delivery of services to millions of children across rural and urban areas.”
Revamped Anganwadi Initiative Targets Child Malnutrition
On June 24, 2025, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development launched a transformative overhaul of the Anganwadi Nutrition Program under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, aiming to address the persistent challenge of child malnutrition in India. The initiative, announced by Minister Annapurna Devi, focuses on improving the quality of nutrition, leveraging technology, and fostering community participation to ensure holistic child welfare.
The revamped program introduces several key reforms. Anganwadi centres, which serve as critical hubs for delivering nutrition and early education to children aged 0-6 years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers, will now provide fortified meals tailored to address specific nutritional deficiencies. The ministry has partnered with nutritionists to design menus incorporating locally sourced, nutrient-rich foods like jowar rotis and Balamrutham Plus, a fortified supplementary nutrition mix. This move aligns with efforts to combat the alarming malnutrition rates reported in states like Maharashtra, where 30,800 children were identified as severely malnourished and 1,51,643 as moderately malnourished in February 2025, according to Poshan Tracker data.
A significant feature of the program is the integration of advanced technology to enhance service delivery. The Poshan Tracker, recognized with the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2025, will now enable real-time monitoring of growth metrics and nutrition distribution. The platform uses artificial intelligence to identify high-risk children, predict nutritional gaps, and send alerts to Anganwadi workers for timely interventions. Additionally, the ministry plans to deploy mobile Anganwadi units and telehealth consultations to reach underserved urban and rural areas, ensuring no child is left behind.
Community involvement is another cornerstone of the initiative. The ministry has called for collaboration with women’s self-help groups and NGOs to supply nutritious food and support grassroots implementation. In Telangana, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to transform Anganwadi centres into a national model by incorporating solar-powered, container-like structures and advanced infrastructure. A 100-day action plan has been outlined to streamline food supply chains, enhance centre management, and improve coordination between Anganwadi and ASHA workers.
The program also addresses urban malnutrition, a growing concern in cities like Mumbai, where suburbs report the highest number of malnourished children in Maharashtra. The newly launched Suposhit Mumbai Abhiyan and Urban Child Development Centre Scheme aim to provide targeted nutritional support from pregnancy through the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, a critical period for development.
However, the initiative has faced criticism over its mandatory facial recognition system for accessing benefits under the POSHAN Abhiyaan. Critics, including the Congress party, argue that technological barriers and lack of access to devices in rural areas could exclude vulnerable populations, potentially undermining the program’s goals. Reports have also highlighted incidents of resistance, including an assault on an Anganwadi worker in Uttar Pradesh during the e-KYC process.
To bolster the program’s reach, the government plans to upgrade 5,000 mini Anganwadi centres in Andhra Pradesh into main centres and recruit 5,000 additional helpers, ensuring better staffing and service delivery. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh has announced recruitment for 19,503 Anganwadi worker and assistant positions to strengthen grassroots efforts.
The initiative also emphasizes early childhood education alongside nutrition. The ‘Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi’ campaign will provide digital training modules to Anganwadi workers, enabling them to deliver non-formal preschool education effectively. This holistic approach aims to foster both physical and cognitive development, aligning with the vision of a Swasth Bharat, Suposhit Bharat.
As India grapples with the dual challenge of rural and urban malnutrition, the revamped Anganwadi Nutrition Program signals a robust commitment to child welfare. By combining nutritional innovation, technological advancements, and community-driven efforts, the government aims to set a global benchmark for early childhood care.
Disclaimer: This article is based on recent news reports, official statements from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, and sources such as The Hindu, News18, and posts on X. Information is accurate as of July 6, 2025, and reflects the latest available data. Readers are advised to verify details with official government sources for the most current updates.