Early childhood, a critical phase in human development, demands adequate support, education, and healthcare for children. During the first five years, children undergo rapid growth, forming essential neural pathways crucial for cognitive development. This period also shapes their physical well-being, influenced by factors like nutrition and environment.
However, children are vulnerable to negative impacts, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. To address this, the Indian government launched the Anganwadi program in 1975. According to a recent article by Hindustan Times, as of March 2025, there are 13.99 lakh operational Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), aimed at providing child and maternal care and combating hunger and malnutrition.
What is Anganwadi?
Anganwadi centers primarily cater to children aged 0–6 years, serving as vital components of India’s public healthcare system. Beyond healthcare, they significantly contribute to early education and holistic child development.
These centers play a pivotal role in various child development activities, offering accessible and affordable healthcare services. Anganwadi health workers possess valuable insights into local health issues and effectively communicate community programs due to their strong community connections.
Furthermore, Anganwadis play a crucial role in combating malnutrition nationwide, ensuring equitable access to government programs addressing malnutrition, infant mortality, community health concerns, lack of child education, and preventable diseases across India.
THE ROLE OF ANGANWADI WORKERS IN ICDS
Anganwadi centres operate under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive early childhood care programs launched by the Government of India in 1975. The primary goal of ICDS is to address the interrelated needs of young children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and adolescent girls in rural and underserved areas by delivering a package of essential services.
These services include:
- Supplementary nutrition
- Non-formal preschool education
- Immunization
- Health check-ups
- Referral services
- Nutrition and health education
At the heart of this program are the Anganwadi workers, grassroots-level functionaries responsible for implementing ICDS services in their communities. As trusted local figures, they act as a vital link between the government and rural households, especially women and children. Their ability to build rapport with families makes them effective in raising awareness about nutrition, immunisation, early education, and maternal healthcare.
Anganwadi workers are also trained to identify early signs of malnutrition and health issues, maintain detailed growth monitoring records, and ensure that every eligible child or woman receives the right support. Their multi-faceted role is instrumental in meeting the health, nutrition, and learning needs of rural communities and in furthering the developmental goals envisioned by the ICDS.
WHY ANGANWADI CENTERS ARE NEEDED FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT?
Anganwadi centers play a crucial role in early schooling for rural children, aligning with the National Education Policy’s focus on early childhood care and education. Various challenges hinder effective education delivery. Limited attention to pre-primary education results from factors such as inadequate training, lack of proper infrastructure, and overwhelming duties for Anganwadi workers.
Anganwadi centers offer:
Preschool Education: Anganwadi centers offer a variety of educational activities to prepare children for school. They prioritize learning through playful engagement, which supports the development of children across various dimensions, including social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and aesthetic domains.
Optimal Nutrition: Anganwadi centers provide supplementary food, offering hot meals consisting of mixed pulses, cereals, oil, sugar, and iodized salt. Additionally, they may provide take-home rations. These centers diligently monitor children’s physical growth, including height and weight. Moreover, they extend their services to women ages 15 to 45, ensuring their nutritional and health needs are met to effectively care for their children.
Health Check-ups & Immunization: Anganwadi centers provide basic health services like immunization, primary healthcare, and referral help. Anganwadi workers work with healthcare staff to keep records, talk to parents, and arrange immunization sessions for children. These sessions include vaccines for diseases like polio, DTP, measles, and TB. Anganwadi workers cover the population in their area and also make monthly visits to check on families. Every month, anganwadi workers cover the area under them to make sure children get vaccinated for diseases like polio, DTP, measles, and TB.
Anganwadi centers are essential in meeting rural children’s learning and health requirements in India and supporting government programs. Therefore, the government, local communities, and rural development NGOs in India need to extend their assistance to enhance the effectiveness of these centers and to advance the larger aim of the national development.
NGOs Role in Supporting Anganwadi Centers
S M Sehgal Foundation has been working toward supporting Anganwadi centers and contributing to the educational, nutritional, and general growth and development of women and children in the rural areas of the country. Since 1999, S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation) has dedicated its efforts to enhancing the quality of life in rural Indian communities. As a rural development NGO established as a public charitable trust, Sehgal Foundation boasts a skilled and committed team focused on crafting sustainable programs to tackle the most urgent needs of rural India.
Our Reach & Impact
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5.92 Million
People Reached
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3,036
Villages
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74
Districts
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13
States
HOW RENOVATED ANGANWADI CENTERS EMPOWER WOMEN AND CHILDREN?
In the village of Rigarh, Ferozepur Jhirka block, Nuh, Haryana, a newly renovated Anganwadi center stands as a beacon of support for its community. With a population of approximately 2,500 across 350 households, Rigarh relies on two Anganwadi centers for essential services under the government’s ICDS program. The revitalization of this center is thanks to a CSR initiative backed by HDFC Parivartan and implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation since 2021.
A dedicated Village Development Committee (VDC) of 20–25 members, trained monthly on various government topics, spearheaded the initiative. Concerned about the center’s dilapidated state, the VDC advocated for its renovation to better serve the community. Now with its refurbished infrastructure, the Anganwadi center provides enhanced services to children and women, ensuring improved service delivery at the grassroots level.
Conclusion
Anganwadi centers are steppingstone of India’s public health and education systems, especially in rural areas. Rooted in the ICDS scheme, they provide essential services such as nutrition, early childhood education, and primary healthcare to millions of children and women. These centers not only combat malnutrition and reduce infant mortality but also lay the foundation for lifelong learning and development. Despite facing challenges like inadequate infrastructure and heavy workloads, Anganwadi workers continue to serve with dedication. Collaborative efforts from the government, corporate and NGOs like CSR initiative backed by HDFC Parivartan and implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation, Strengthening Anganwadi infrastructure.
FAQs
Anganwadi centers primarily serve children aged 0–6 years and play a crucial role in India’s public healthcare system. They provide essential healthcare services, early education, and holistic child development activities.
Anganwadi centers address malnutrition by offering supplementary feeding programs that provide hot meals and take-home rations containing nutritious ingredients. They also monitor children’s physical growth and extend services to women aged 15–45 to ensure their nutritional needs are met.
Anganwadi centers offer preschool education through various engaging activities aimed at preparing children for formal schooling. These activities focus on fostering learning through play and support the development of children across multiple domains.
Anganwadi centers offer immunization services, primary healthcare support, and referral services. They organize immunization sessions covering vaccinations for diseases like polio, DTP, measles, and TB. Additionally, they provide basic healthcare to expectant and new mothers during antenatal and postnatal periods.
Anganwadi centers play a vital role in rural development by addressing the learning and health needs of rural children. Their support for government programs aimed at child and maternal care, healthcare, and education contributes to overall national development efforts.
Priya Chaudhary
Social Impact, CSR, and Gender & Development
Priya Chaudhary is an expert in Social Impact, CSR, and Gender & Development with a focus on gender equity, social inclusion, and evidence-based change. With extensive experience in project management, storytelling, and qualitative research, she has worked on various NGO marketing and development projects.
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