Poshan Tracker App Highlights Subpar Operations of Anganwadis in Madhya Pradesh

Over 25,000 Anganwadi centres in Madhya Pradesh are not operating regularly, according to data collected by the Poshan Tracker App, a mobile-based application launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in India. The app, which is a critical and beneficiary-centric service delivery tool under the Poshan Abhiyaan, is designed to promote real-time data with analytics to monitor and track all AWCs and beneficiaries on defined indicators.

Out of the state's 97,137 Anganwadis, only approximately 76% work consistently, and only 32% serve adequate meals to children aged 3 to 6 years. These centres are responsible for providing nutritious breakfast and lunch to young children, and their subpar performance is expected to have a direct impact on the level of nutrition of children in Madhya Pradesh.

The Women and Child Development Department recently reported that the state's malnutrition rate stands at 3.93%, despite a report released in March of last year that stated that out of 6,502,723 children aged 0 to 5 years in Madhya Pradesh, about 10,32,000 are malnourished, and 6,30,090 are severely malnourished.

Significance of Poshan Tracker

The Poshan Tracker App aims to address these concerns by providing a 360-degree view of the activities of the Anganwadi centres, service deliveries of Anganwadi Workers, and complete beneficiary management for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children. The app enables real-time monitoring and tracking of all AWCs and beneficiaries on defined indicators, including the measurement of health indicators like stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence as per WHO standards.

The app also generates automated alerts to critical last-mile beneficiaries and ensures an efficient audit of the delivery system by documenting the real-time attendance of beneficiaries and duty-bearers. The management information system helps the nutrition program to scale efficiently, thereby generating and documenting a positive impact.

Recommendations by the Parliamentary Committee

However, the parliamentary committee raised concerns about the effective use of the Poshan Tracker, recommending that key performance indicators be constantly monitored and uploaded on its website, and a state-wise progress report be maintained to identify those deprived of the benefits on a real-time basis for timely remedial measures. The committee also recommended that the Ministry put in place a monitoring mechanism to ensure there were no gaps in the distribution of food packets to Anganwadi beneficiaries.

In conclusion, the Poshan Tracker App is an essential tool for monitoring and tracking the activities of Anganwadi centres and improving the nutritional outcomes of children in India. However, there is a need for effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure the app's full potential is realized and to address concerns raised by the parliamentary committee. Improving the functioning of Anganwadi centres is crucial in addressing malnutrition among young children in the country, and the Poshan Tracker App can play a vital role in achieving this goal.