Smartphones to Empower the Anganwadi Workers in the Capital

Anganwadis are usually considered to be a place for children where they get free food, but Delhi CM is very intent on transforming anganwadis into playschools so that even the poor are benefitted by education. Integrated Child Development Services Under the Centre’s Integrated Child Development Scheme, 10,752 anganwadi centres are functioning in Delhi. The social welfare scheme addresses malnutrition and health problems in children below six years of age and caters to pregnant women and nursing mothers. The anganwadi workers have to maintain records of the daily opening of anganwadi centres, information of service delivery, children receiving nutrition supplements and many other activities. These records had to be maintained manually which would consume a lot of time. With the distribution of smartphones to the workers, plenty of time will be saved which the workers can devote to the beneficiaries. Mobile Apps To Reduce Burden Of Workers The government has introduced two mobile apps for ease of functioning. These apps can be downloaded on the smartphones made available to the workers. The AWW app enables the anganwadi workers to carry out household-wise, name-based, UID-linked registration of members. Photos of children receiving their daily supplementary nutrition can also be sent through this app. The second app, ‘Lady Supervisor’ will help supervisors to monitor the provision of child development services to the enrolled children at the centre. It will also enable supervisors to assign priority to those centres that are not functioning up to the expectations. This digital push will certainly go a long way in the smooth and efficient functioning of anganwadis.