Anganwadi workers with 10 years of experience to be promoted: Maneka

The government on Tuesday said 50 per cent of vacancies in the posts of supervisors of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) will now be filled by promotion from amongst the experienced and qualified workers. 

Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said: “Under the revised guidelines for Aganwadis, now 50 per cent of the vacancies in the posts of supervisors would be filled by promotion from amongst AWWs with 10 years of experience and having the prescribed educational qualification as per the recruitment rules for the post of supervisor.” 

Gandhi was speaking at a function at Vigyan Bhawan after giving away national-level awards to selected AWWs for their dedication and exemplary performances. The awards were given for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.

She said: “Instructions have been issued to the state governments to implement the revised guidelines. There are 498 aganwadi training centers in the country. Also, 50,000 anganwadis are being constructed under the MNREGA scheme of the Rural Development Ministry to provide a centre from where the AWWs can operate. We are also in touch with the World Bank to provide funds for the training of AWWs and equipping them with tablets as well as weighing devices. NIPCCD (National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development) has been entrusted with the task of training AWWs for which special training centres are being set up.”

Stressing on the importance of Anganwadi workers, she said: “AWWs are the most important functionary at the grassroot level for the delivery of services under the ministry’s flagship programme of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).” 

Congratulating the winners, she said they are a select few who have been chosen out of 24 lakh AWWs and are the pivot of the child welfare programme.