Year end review 2025

1. At a Glance

• Annual stock-taking by MWCD covering progress on its three umbrella verticals — Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya — released January 2026 [1].
• Captures coverage data (Poshan Tracker registrations, PMMVY DBT flow, Anganwadi upgradation) — high-yield for Prelims schemes & figures and GS-II welfare governance [1][2].
• Signals a shift to tech-driven welfare delivery (Facial Recognition for eKYC, helpline short-code unification, LED-equipped Saksham Anganwadis) [1].

2. Why in the News

• MWCD released its Year End Review 2025 on 9 January 2026 documenting beneficiary scale and scheme milestones [1].
• 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah (launched 17 Sept 2025) concluded in Dehradun, with 14.33 crore activities nationwide [1][3].
• MWCD recognised as one of the best-performing Ministries for PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) implementation [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 2021–22: MWCD's schemes restructured into three umbrella verticals — Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya [4].
• POSHAN Abhiyaan launched 2018 (Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan); rebranded as Poshan 2.0 in 2021–22 integrating Supplementary Nutrition Programme + Anganwadi Services + Scheme for Adolescent Girls [4].
• PMMVY: launched 2017; expanded under Mission Shakti to include 2nd-child girl benefit.
• PM-JANMAN: launched 15 Nov 2023 (Janjatiya Gaurav Divas) for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) [3].

4. Core Static Facts

• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development (Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi) [1].
• Three verticals [4]:
• Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 — nutrition, ECCE.
• Mission Shakti — Sambal (safety) + Samarthya (empowerment) sub-schemes.

• Mission Vatsalya — child protection (statutory base: Juvenile Justice Act, 2015).

• Poshan Tracker beneficiaries registered: >9 crore [1].

• Anganwadi Centres approved for Saksham upgradation: 2 lakh; 94,077 already upgraded with LED screens & improved infra [1].
• PMMVY: 4.26 crore beneficiaries received ₹20,060 crore via DBT [1].
• Helpline short code changed from 14408 → 1515 (covers PM CARES, Poshan, PMMVY) [1].
• FRS/eKYC for Take-Home Ration (THR): 4.51 crore of 4.73 crore (91.38%) completed by 31 Dec 2025 [1].
• Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 cumulative beneficiaries: >8.69 crore (pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, children) as of 30 Nov 2025 [1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Social / Gender: PMMVY's ₹20,060 cr DBT addresses wage loss during pregnancy; Mission Shakti's One Stop Centres operationalise DV Act, 2005 redress [1].
• Administrative / Governance: Poshan Tracker won PM's Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 (Innovation) — exemplar of JAM-trinity-led welfare digitisation [2].
• Tech / Innovation: Facial Recognition System (FRS) integrated with Aadhaar for THR eKYC reduces leakage but raises privacy concerns under Puttaswamy (2017) [1].
• Federalism: 60:40 Centre-State cost sharing for most components; states like Uttarakhand running parallel Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana (₹1.56 cr DBT to 5,211 beneficiaries during Poshan Maah closing) [3].
• Tribal welfare: MWCD's PM-JANMAN convergence supports 75 PVTGs across 18 states/UTs [1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 17 Sept 2025: PM launched 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah with Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan; ₹450 crore transferred to 15 lakh+ women in a single day under PMMVY [1][3].
• September 2025: 14.33 crore Poshan Maah activities across 6 thematic pillars — Obesity in children, ECCE (Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi), IYCF, Men-streaming, Vocal for Local, Convergence & Digitisation [3].
• Dec 2025: 1,04,662 of 1,40,862 helpline grievances resolved [1].
• Jan 2026: Year End Review published; short-code migration to 1515 announced [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Poshan Tracker registered beneficiaries crossed 9 crore by YER 2025 [1].
• 94,077 Anganwadi Centres upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis (out of 2 lakh approved) [1].
• PMMVY cumulative DBT: ₹20,060 crore to 4.26 crore women [1].
• Helpline short code: 1515 (replaces 14408) [1].
• 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah held in September 2025; closing ceremony in Dehradun, Uttarakhand [3].
• Poshan Maah 2025 had 6 thematic pillars, including "Men-streaming" in nutrition [3].
• THR eKYC via Facial Recognition System covered 91.38% of eligible beneficiaries by 31 Dec 2025 [1].
• Poshan Tracker received PM Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024 (Innovation category) [2].
• MWCD's three verticals: Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya [4].
• PM-JANMAN targets PVTGs; MWCD adjudged among best implementing ministries [1].
• Union Minister WCD: Smt. Annpurna Devi [1].
• Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan launched alongside 8th Poshan Maah [1].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; mechanisms for protection & betterment of women & children; issues of governance and e-governance.
• GS-III: Issues relating to direct & indirect farm/welfare subsidies; food security & malnutrition.
• Question stems: 1. "Critically evaluate the role of digital architecture (Poshan Tracker, FRS, DBT) in plugging leakages in India's nutrition delivery ecosystem." (GS-II) 2. "Examine the convergence model of Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 in tackling the triple burden of malnutrition." (GS-II/III) 3. "Discuss the institutional architecture of Mission Shakti as a response to gender-based violence in India." (GS-I/II)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• POSHAN Abhiyaan & NFHS-5 nutrition indicators — baseline for evaluating Poshan 2.0.
• Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015 — statutory base of Mission Vatsalya.
• Domestic Violence Act 2005 & One Stop Centres — Mission Shakti's Sambal sub-scheme.
• PM-JANMAN & PVTG list — convergence partner.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) architecture & JAM trinity — backbone of PMMVY.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao — sex-ratio indicator linkage to Mission Shakti.
• National Food Security Act 2013 — supplementary nutrition entitlements.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat (MoHFW) — inter-ministerial convergence.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Wrong ministry: Anaemia Mukt Bharat is MoHFW, not MWCD; Mid-Day Meal (PM-POSHAN) is Ministry of Education.
• Vertical confusion: PMMVY sits under Mission Shakti (Samarthya), NOT under Poshan 2.0.
• PM-JANMAN nodal ministry = Ministry of Tribal Affairs; MWCD is only a convergence partner.
• Helpline number: new short code is 1515 (not 1098 — which is Childline, now also under MWCD).
• Saksham Anganwadi ≠ a separate scheme — it is an upgraded AWC under Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0.