Bihar

• 01 Aug 2022

Central Government Approves Opening Up of Two-thousand New Anganwadi Centers

Why in News

• On July 31, 2022, Bihar's Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni informed that the central government has approved the proposal to set up two thousand new Anganwadi centers in Bihar.

Key Points

• Madan Sahni informed that the process of setting up two thousand new Anganwadi Centers approved by the Central Government is under process. Soon these will be opened in rural areas. Through these, the nutritional level of malnourished children and women will be improved.
• Sources in the Social Welfare Department said that Anganwadi centers are built on a population of 400 to 800. Depending on the population, there may be one or more than one Anganwadi Center in the Gram Panchayat area. Anganwadi workers and helpers run the centre.
• As per information, the Social Welfare Department had sent a proposal to the Central Government to set up 20 thousand new Anganwadi centers in the state and provide central assistance accordingly, has not been approved.
• It is noteworthy that in the operation of Anganwadi centers, the central and state governments together provide financial assistance.
• Anganwadi centers are a powerful means of making government schemes reach to the deprived and poor sections in remote rural areas.
• At present, 1 lakh 12 thousand 94 Anganwadi centers are operating in the state under the Directorate of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Of these, only 1.10 lakh Anganwadi centers are functional at present.
• There are 99 lakh 23 thousand 915 beneficiaries in the Anganwadi centers currently operating in the state. These include children 0 to 6 years old, adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating women. Anganwadis play an important role in prenatal and postnatal health, child nutrition, school education and immunization of children.