Anganwadi workers (AWWs) across India are seeing their duties increase significantly under the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and the rollout of the POSHAN Tracker app, yet many remain classified as “honorary” workers with low stipends and no status upgrade to teachers.
Increased Workload Under NEP & ICDS
- With NEP 2020, a new preschool curriculum has been introduced that expects Anganwadi centres to co-locate with primary schools. AWWs are now being asked to teach, in addition to traditional duties such as nutrition delivery, monitoring, record-keeping, and home visits.
- Many centres remain under-resourced — lacking proper infrastructure, minimal support staff, and tools needed for educational functions.
POSHAN Tracker & Digital Burden
- The POSHAN Tracker app has elevated data entry duties. In states such as Tamil Nadu, workers report spending extra hours uploading data, facing connectivity issues, and doing tasks like OTP verification, facial recognition, etc.
- Workers say the digital tools have shifted their role more toward “data stewards” rather than child development or nurturing roles.
Pay, Status, and Recognition Concerns
State-Specific Situations & Examples
- In Tamil Nadu, Anganwadi Workers, Mini Workers, and helpers get monthly consolidated pay for the first year in different roles, later moving to different pay levels after completing the required service years.
- AWWs report that tasks like using POSHAN Tracker, dealing with gadget or server glitches, multiple OTPs, and extended working hours (beyond formal timing) are now part of their routine. Such extra efforts remain uncompensated.
What Change Workers are Seeking?
- Reclassification of Anganwadi Workers doing teaching/preschool duties as teachers (with status and salary to match).
- Regular salary rather than honorarium, with increments and allowances.
- More infrastructure support, fewer overlapping apps, better digital tools/connectivity, so data tasks don’t overflow working hours.
- Clear guidelines for roles, responsibilities, and limits under NEP and ICDS to avoid overburdening.
