According to the updated rules of the “Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2” policy, the Anganwadi Services Scheme is available to all qualified beneficiaries; the only requirement is that the beneficiary must be enrolled at the closest Anganwadi center with an Aadhaar identity.
However, the Women and Kid Development Ministry made it clear that access to benefits under the Anganwadi Services Scheme does not need a child to have an Aadhaar card; instead, help may be obtained using the mother’s Aadhaar card.
“No matter their caste, religion, or level of income, all qualified participants may use the Anganwadi Services Scheme on demand. The beneficiary’s registration at the nearby Anganwadi Center with Aadhaar identity is the sole prerequisite “It said.
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The “Scheme for Adolescent Girls” instructions indicated that recipients would need their Aadhaar numbers to get benefits.
“Adolescent females between the ages of 14 and 18 who are recognised by the states in question will be the scheme’s beneficiaries. In order to get benefits under the programme, all recipients must have an Aadhaar number “It read.
The program for teenage girls has been revamped under “Poshan 2.0,” and the intended beneficiaries are now females between the ages of 14 and 18 in aspirational areas of states like Assam and the northeastern states, as opposed to prior out-of-school girls between the ages of 11 and 14.
The government announced new guidelines for the “Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2” policy, which intends to examine solutions to address nutritional problems, on Tuesday.
To guarantee last-mile monitoring of take-home rations and tracking of pregnant women’s and breastfeeding mothers’ migration, the guidelines also encourage plan beneficiaries to seed their Aadhaar cards.
According to the regulations, Ayush systems must be integrated under Poshan 2.0 for health and nutrition.
Ayush will spread the “Yoga at Home, Yoga with Family” campaigns to homes, AWCs, and beneficiaries to motivate them to practice yoga and maintain their health.
The Ministry of Ayush is required to provide technical support for scheme implementation, suggest accessible Ayurvedic interventions to improve digestive capacity, fill “Poshan Vatikas” (nutrition gardens) with medicinal plants and saplings, provide technical assistance, etc., and suggest regional recipes incorporating locally grown vegetables and food substances, red rice, and various millets.
Additionally, seven lakh Ayush registered practitioners would collaborate with states and UTs to create regional meal plans and other initiatives to maximize the advantages of Poshan Vatikas.
The recommendations also stress the need to measure each child’s progress.
“There will be efforts made to measure the youngsters completely. Any youngster who was unable to be measured in a given month must be measured compulsorily in the month after, “It said.
The recommendations state that “white sugar should not be used in the meals” given to the recipients and that only jaggery should be used as a sweetener.
The use of jaggery, fortification with local plants like moreng (sahjan/drumstick), and components that deliver more energy in a lesser amount of food were encouraged, according to the statement.
According to the standards, the food items for “Hot Cooked Meals” (HCM) and “Take-Home Ration” (not raw ration) are particular to the states. They must contain healthful fruits and vegetables that are locally farmed or readily accessible.
Cereals, pulses, millets (coarse grains), nuts, and some fat are among the food items that make up supplemental nutrition. Millets must be required to be provided at least thrice per week and must be appropriately incorporated in THR and HCM in a delectable form, it said.
According to the rules, the social audit must be carried out by relevant parties, including poshan panchayats, mothers’ organizations, and village health, sanitation, and nutrition committees.
It said that direct input from users of Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 would also be gathered.
It also said that the Ministry of Women and Child Development would choose a reputable third party to carry out the scheme’s assessment.
