The Government of India has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling malnutrition through Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0), a centrally sponsored initiative integrating key nutrition programs. Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Savitri Thakur, informed the Rajya Sabha that this mission consolidates Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyaan, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (14-18 years) in Aspirational Districts and the North-Eastern region to create a comprehensive framework for nutrition and early childhood care.

The initiative covers children aged 0-6 years, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls in designated regions. As of February 28, 2025, the Poshan Tracker—a digital monitoring platform—has registered 10.12 crore beneficiaries, including 44.38 lakh in Karnataka, with 99.61% Aadhaar verification in the state. The program’s implementation is a joint effort between the central government, states, and union territories, ensuring localized execution of nutrition interventions.

A key highlight of Mission Poshan 2.0 is the integration of IT-based governance tools to enhance efficiency and transparency in nutrition delivery. Launched on March 1, 2021, the Poshan Tracker enables near real-time data collection on daily attendance, early childhood care and education (ECCE), hot cooked meals (HCM), take-home rations (THR), and growth measurements at Anganwadi centers. With support for 24 languages, including Hindi and English, the application has replaced manual growth monitoring records with auto-generated monthly reports.

All Anganwadi Workers are equipped with smartphones, allowing seamless data entry and tracking. The Poshan Tracker ensures comprehensive monitoring of Anganwadi centers, workers, and beneficiaries through well-defined indicators. By leveraging digital technology, the government aims to streamline service delivery and improve nutrition outcomes for vulnerable populations.

The initiative has garnered international recognition. UNICEF has praised the Poshan Tracker for its user-friendly interface, which has simplified the work of Anganwadi workers while ensuring continuous monitoring of children and mothers. The World Health Organization (WHO) has lauded the platform as an exemplary system for efficiently collecting routine administrative nutrition data. Additionally, during the G-20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment in 2023, the Poshan Tracker was showcased as a model for digital governance in nutrition services, emphasizing its role in targeted intervention policies.

With an expanding digital infrastructure and a robust monitoring mechanism, Mission Poshan 2.0 is set to strengthen India’s fight against malnutrition, ensuring equitable access to essential nutrition services for children, mothers, and adolescent girls across the country.