Year End Review 2025 – Ministry of Women and Child Development continues its Mission to Empower Women and Children, Ensuring inclusive Development, Safety, and well-being

More than 9 Crore beneficiaries registered in Poshan Tracker

Out of 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres approved for upgradation as Saksham Anganwadis , 94,077 Anganwadi Centres upgraded with improved infrastructure including LED screens

Under PMMVY, 4.26 crore beneficiaries received ₹20,060 crore in maternity benefits through DBT mode

MWCD awarded as one of the best performing Ministries for outstanding contribution to implementation of PM-JANMAN

14.33 crore activities conducted nationwide in 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah

To further improve accessibility, short code for PM CARES, Poshan, and PMMVY Helpline changed from 14408 to 1515

Mission & Vision

· Continued focus on empowering women and children, ensuring inclusive development, safety, and well-being.

· Recognized nationally for outstanding contributions, including awards under PM-JANMAN and Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration.

Nutrition & Anganwadi Services

· Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0: Benefited 8.69 crore women, children, and adolescents.

· Infrastructure: Out of 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres approved for upgradation, 94,077 upgraded with modern facilities (LED screens, improved services).

· Poshan Tracker:

o 9 crore beneficiaries registered.

o 8 crore children monitored monthly.

o 14 lakh centres connected, supporting 24 languages.

· Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan: Launched to reward 1,000 Panchayats excelling in nutrition outcomes.

· 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah: 14.33 crore activities nationwide; ₹450 crore transferred to 15 lakh+ women in one day under PMMVY.

Digital Governance & Innovation

· Helpline: Short code changed to 1515 for PM CARES, Poshan, and PMMVY.

· Grievances: 1.4 lakh received; 1.04 lakh resolved.

· FRS (Facial Recognition System):

o Introduced in Anganwadi services and PMMVY for secure beneficiary verification.

o 91.38% of THR beneficiaries completed eKYC; 52.68% received ration via FRS.

o 17.82 lakh PMMVY beneficiaries enrolled with biometric verification.

Women Empowerment – Mission Shakti

· One Stop Centres (OSCs): 1,025 approved; 865 operational; 12.67 lakh women assisted.

· Women Helpline 181: Integrated with ERSS-112; supported 93.48 lakh women.

· PMMVY: 4.26 crore beneficiaries received ₹20,060 crore in maternity benefits via DBT.

· Shelter Homes: 411 Shakti Sadan Homes and 531 Sakhi Niwas operational.

· Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Celebrated 10 years, aligning with Viksit Bharat 2047.

· SHe-Box Portal: Workplace sexual harassment complaints; 1.3 lakh workplaces onboarded, 50,000 ICs updated, LCs in all 777 districts listed.

Child Protection – Mission Vatsalya

· Portal: Unified workspace for child welfare systems; CARINGS adoption platform integrated.

· Training: 303 Master Trainers trained across 36 States/UTs.

· Child Helpline: Operational in all States/UTs, integrated with ERSS-112.

· Capacity Building: 37,242 stakeholders enrolled in online training; 19,728 completed.

Campaigns & Celebrations

· Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2025: 20 children honoured for excellence in diverse fields.

· Veer Bal Diwas 2025: Nationwide tribute to courage and sacrifice of children, led by PM Modi.

· Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign: One-year milestone; 92,819 awareness activities, 1.79 crore participants, 8 lakh pledges against child marriage.

Takeaway

The MoWCD’s 2025 review highlights digital innovation, grassroots empowerment, nutrition security, women’s safety, and child protection, reaffirming its role in building a malnutrition-free, safe, and inclusive Bharat.

[ABS News Service/09.01.2026]

Posted On: 09 JAN 2026 11:54AM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Women and Child Development presents its comprehensive review of achievements and initiatives for 2025. The Ministry continues its mission to empower women and children, ensuring inclusive development, safety, and well-being. Below are the detailed account of its flagship missions and their impact.

1. Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0: Strengthening India’s Nutrition

Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0—integrating Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyaan, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls— has benefitted over 8.69 crore pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children as on 30^th November 2025.

1. Strengthening Anganwadi Infrastructure & Service Delivery

• A total of 2 lakh Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) has been approved for upgradation as Saksham Anganwadi under Mission Poshan 2.0. Out of these, 94,077 Anganwadi Centres have been upgraded with improved infrastructure including LED screens.
• Under PM JANMAN, in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) areas, 2,500 AWCs have been sanctioned. Out of these, 2,326 AWCs are operational. Recently, Hon’ble President awarded MWCD as one of the best performing Ministries for their outstanding contribution to the implementation of the PM-JANMAN.
• Through convergence under the DAJGUA initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 875 Anganwadi Centres have been sanctioned. Out of these, 455 Anganwadi Centres are currently operational, benefiting 27,785 tribal beneficiaries

2. Digital Governance & Data-Driven Monitoring through Poshan Tracker

• Poshan Tracker application, a governance tool for Anganwadi was launched in March 2021, enables 360^-degree view and real-time monitoring of service delivery, Anganwadi infrastructure and tracking of supplementary nutrition for improving the nutritional status of beneficiaries, including pregnant women, lactating mothers and children (0-6 years) at Anganwadi Centres.
• More than 9 Crore: beneficiaries registered in Poshan Tracker
• Around 8 Crore: Children monitored monthly for growth (height and Weight)
• 14 Lakh: Anganwadi Centers connected
• 24: Languages supported by the app
• Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 under the Innovation (Centre) category
• Poshan Tracker application supports daily and monthly activities for AWWs such as opening of Anganwadi Centre (AWC) and attendance tracking, distribution of Hot Cooked Meals (HCM) & Take-Home Ration, daily instructional videos and voiceovers for ECCE activities and creation of ABHA ID / APAAR ID etc.
• Beneficiary/Citizen Empowerment: The Poshan Tracker beneficiary/Citizen module allows citizens to apply for registration to access anganwadi services at the nearest AWC.

3. Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan

• Launched on 26 December 2024 by Hon’ble PM to identify and reward 1,000 high-performing Panchayats demonstrating excellence in nutrition security, infrastructure and malnutrition outcomes.
• Utilises Poshan Tracker-backed benchmarking and cross-State peer review to drive healthy competition towards a “malnutrition-free Bharat.”

4. Nutrition Outreach & Behaviour Change at Scale

• 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 17 September 2025 from Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, under Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan.
• A total of 14.33 crore activities were conducted nationwide in convergence with more than 20 Ministries.
• Under the Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan & 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah, Rs. 450 crores transferred to 15 lakh plus women in a single day for the PMMVY beneficiaries in DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) mode.

5. Strengthening ECCE through Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi

• In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Ministry is committed to transforming AWCs into vibrant early learning spaces. Under the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative, 8,55,728 AWWs and 41,645 SLMTs have been trained by December 2025 have been trained. The Aadharshila (0–3 years) and Navchetana (3–6 years) curricula have been adopted across the country and have been translated into 12 regional languages.
• Digital learning enablement has been strengthened through the Poshan Tracker, which records over 2.56 crore preschool activities every month and provides daily learning prompts for AWWs.
• On 3^rd September 2025, the Ministry issued Guidelines for Co-location of Anganwadis with Schools to facilitate convergence with the school ecosystem, with 2.9 lakh AWCs within school premises.

6. Helpline Number- 1515

• The Ministry has set up a toll-free Helpline as a dedicated grievance-redressal mechanism under PM CARES, Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, and PMMVY. The call centre manages inbound complaints, feedback, and technical issues from beneficiaries and Anganwadi workers, and conducts outbound follow-up calls. Grievances are resolved either by Call Centre Executives or escalated to the concerned AWW/Supervisor/CDPO for timely action.
• To further improve accessibility, the short code for the PM CARES, Poshan, and PMMVY Helpline has been changed from 14408 to 1515. This easy-to-remember number has been introduced to simplify recall and enhance support for beneficiaries across all three schemes.
• Out of total of 1,40,862 grievance received on the helpline till December, 2025, 1,04,662 have been resolved.

7. Co-Location of Anganwadi centres & Primary Schools-The Ministry of Women and Child Development with the Ministry of Education released the Guidelines for Co-location of Anganwadi Centres with Schools on 3rd September 2025. The guidelines aim to strengthen ECCE by integrating Anganwadi Centres and schools on a single campus. With over 2.9 lakh centres already situated within school premises, the guidelines offer operational clarity to help States and UTs scale up the model effectively.
8. FRS-based verification Introduced in Anganwadi services and PMMVY:

Face recognition system (FRS) for verification has been launched in PMMVY and Anganwadi. FRS-based verification, which uses facial recognition technology to confirm a person’s identity by comparing live facial features with stored templates, offers significant benefits. It provides enhanced security by leveraging the uniqueness of facial traits, making it difficult to forge or bypass. It improves transparency and smooths the functioning.

Facial Recognition System (FRS) for THR delivery in Anganwadi Services

• Introduced to ensure last-mile tracking of delivery of Take-Home Ration (THR) in Anganwadis. It verifies the beneficiary on basis of Aadhaar face details using eKYC. FRS module - added to Poshan Tracker App used by Anganwadi Workers for all routine tasks. No separate app needed.
• As of 31^st December 2025, out of around 4.73 crore eligible beneficiaries for THR, a total of 4.51 crore (91.38%) beneficiaries have completed their eKYC & face matching, and 2.79 crore (52.68%) eligible beneficiaries have received THR using FRS in December 2025.

Facial Recognition System (FRS) in PMMVY: Mandatory biometric verification through facial authentication has been introduced from May 21, 2025, for all new enrolments under PMMVY. The FRS system has been widely accepted by all States and Union Territories. Since the introduction of this feature, 17.82 lakh beneficiaries (till 17.11.2025) have been enrolled after biometric verification through FRS.

2. Mission Shakti: Safety, Dignity & Empowerment of Women

• 1025 One Stop Centres OSCs have been approved while 865 are (OSCs) operational; 12.67 lakh women assisted
• Women Helpline 181 integrated with ERSS-112 across 35 States/UTs; 93.48 lakh women supported.
• Mission Shakti Mobile App is functional on both IOS and Android platform.

• Under PMMVY (Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna), 4.26 crore beneficiaries received ₹20,060 crore in maternity benefits through DBT mode.
• 411 Shakti Sadan Homes and 531 Sakhi Niwas (erstwhile Working Women Hostel) functional nationwide.
• 10 years celebrating of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: The Ministry has marked the 10th anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme from January 22 to March 8, 2025, culminating on International Women’s Day. A decade of advancing protection, education, and empowerment of girls. The milestone aligns with India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and the shift toward Women-Led Development.
• SHe Box Portal: To strengthen workplace safety and ensure effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (SH Act), the Ministry launched the Sexual Harassment electronic Box (SHe-Box) on August 29, 2024. This significant initiative of the Government of India provides a single-window access for women across all sectors, organized or unorganized, private or public to register complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace. By providing a secure, confidential and user-friendly platform, SHe-Box empowers women to report incidents without fear. It plays a vital role in enhancing women’s participation in the workforce by ensuring safer, more accountable workplaces and fostering a culture of transparency. The portal also serves as a repository of information about Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) across the country. The portal is available in 22 languages including Hindi and in English. As on 05.01.2026, over 1, 30,000 workplaces have on boarded (Public and private sector) and details of more than 50,000 ICs have been updated. Also, details of the LCs of all 777 districts are available on the portal.
• The Ministry observes the 16 Days of Action from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day) with impactful activities aimed at addressing gender-based violence through a participatory and collaborative approach in which all the institutions under the aegis of Ministry of Women and Child Development and diverse stakeholders actively participate. Every year, the Ministry collaborates with various institutions for the purpose; one major collaboration is with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) through Nayi Chetna, a national campaign on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment led by the Women Self Help Groups. This year the fourth edition of Nayi Chetna 4.0 has been held from 25 November to 22 December 2025. The initiative reaffirms the Ministry’s commitment to preventing and eliminating gender-based violence.

3. Mission Vatsalya: Strengthening Child Protection & Care

• Mission Vatsalya Portal operational as a unified workspace for all child welfare systems. CARINGS adoption platform integrated with MV Portal to enhance adoption processes.
• Technical Training of Master Trainers on Mission Vatsalya Portal has taken place at 5 locations viz: Delhi, Bangaluru, Guwahati, Bhopal and Lucknow for various stakeholders working in the child protection system. A total of 303 Master Trainers has been trained in all 36 States/UTs.
• Child Helpline operational across all 36 States/UTs, integrated with ERSS-112 for emergency response. As on 01.01.2026, installation completed in 728 districts, enabling a unified national child response mechanism.
• The MoWCD partnered with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and develop an online training module - available on the KARMAYOGI IGOT for strengthening implementation of child rights with a special focus on the Juvenile Justice Act in India. As on 31.12.2025, a total of 37,242 stakeholders has enrolled for the course and 19,728 have successfully completed it.

Campaigns

• PMRBP – Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2025:

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) is one of India’s most prestigious national honours, conferred annually by the Government of India to recognize children who have demonstrated exceptional excellence and extraordinary talent at a young age.

The PMRBP–2025 ceremony was held on 26th December 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where the awards were graciously conferred by the Hon’ble President of India. This distinguished event celebrated the remarkable achievements of young achievers whose dedication and perseverance have inspired the nation.

In 2025, 20 outstanding children from 18 States and Union Territories were selected for this esteemed honour. These young role models were recognized for their exceptional contributions across diverse fields, including Bravery, Art & Culture, Environment, Social Service, Science & Technology, and Sports.

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar not only acknowledges the extraordinary accomplishments of these children but also serves as a beacon of inspiration, encouraging young minds across the country to pursue excellence, innovation, and service to society.

• Veer Bal Diwas-2025: Veer Baal Diwas is celebrated with great reverence in the presence of Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The occasion marked a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of young heroes. The Prime Minister interacts with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardees and addresses a nationwide audience of students and children through a live webcast, making the event a memorable and impactful celebration of youthful bravery and valor. The Ministry organized Veer Bal Diwas on 26th December 2025 as a nationwide celebration dedicated to honouring the exemplary courage, resilience, and potential of children, who form the foundation of India’s future. As part of the observance, various activities and commemorative events were held across the country, culminating in the main event, which was graced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 26th December 2025.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi also interacted with 20 children from different parts of the country who have been honoured with the Prime Minister's National Child Award.

State-level and district-level programmes were also organised to celebrate Veer Bal Diwas.

• Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign: 27^th November 2025 marked the completion of one year of a national campaign “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat” to end Child Marriage. To commemorate this milestone, a 100-days’ intensive thematic campaign for Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat was launched on 04^th December 2025 at New Delhi by the Hon’ble Minister of Women and Child Development. These 100 days intensive campaign that will culminate on 8^th March 2026, will focus on schools, colleges and educational institutions in the first spell, the marriage related service providers in the second spell and engaging with the Gram Panchayats and Municipal Wards in the third spell. The ‘https://stopchildmarriage.wcd.gov.in’ portal launched in 2024 to support the States/ UTs in raising awareness against child marriage and for effective reporting and prevention of incidences of child marriage has now details of 58,262 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs). In the last one year, 92,819 awareness activities with participation of 1.79 crore people across the country have been reported on the portal. The BVMB portal and MyGov platform has recorded over 8 lakh citizens taking pledge against child marriage.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive, technology-enabled, and transparent governance to ensure that women and children remain at the centre of India’s development journey.