Maneka Gandhi launches Common Application Software for Aanganwadi Centers

The Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched the Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) and Information and Communication Technology enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of ICDS in New Delhi.

With a view to bridge gaps in the ICDS Scheme, the Ministry of WCD is implementing International Development Association (IDA) assisted ICDS Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP), in 162 high burden districts of 8 States in the country covering 3.68 lakh Aanganwadi Centers.

Benefits:

The web enabled online digitisation will strengthen the monitoring of the service delivery of Anganwadi Centres in the country.

This ICT leveraged solution is expected to help to improve the nutrition levels of children in the country and help meet nutrition goals.

The digitisation includes a Rapid Reporting System to collect the online data on Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme from Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) by introducing simplified anganwadi monthly progress report (AWMPR).

Minister on the occasion:

Speaking on the occasion, Maneka Gandhi said that the new software will revolutionise the monitoring of service delivery of anganwadi centres since anganwadi workers had to earlier fill 11 registers which was a cumbersome task.

It is for the first time since anganwadis started that we have started collecting data and accessing it easily, the Minster added. This will help to draw nutrition profile of each village and address the problem of malnutrition on a permanent basis.

The modernisation of the system will help us to get real time reports from the grassroot level, Maneka Gandhi explained.

About ISSNIP:

The ISSNIP has been now restructured and it includes ICT-enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of ICDS which has been launched today. ICT-RTM would specifically help strengthen the ICDS capacity to deliver nutrition services in the following ways:

1. Help improve service delivery by Aanganwadi workers (AWWs) by introduction of mobile technology
2. Provide real-time information on service delivery at Aanganwadi Centers and on growth and nutrition status of children. Assist in growth monitoring and promotion; and impacting delivery of nutrition and health services
3. Enable to employ timely interventions wherever and whenever required and to prioritise and direct the interventions needed to improve the nutritional status in specific geographies.
4. Auto generation of ICDS registers that are currently compiled manually by Aanganwadi workers and help ICDS staff save time in data entry into multiple registers, thereby enabling them to channelise more time on delivering ICDS services including increased focus on counseling.
5. Help in reaching out to all the beneficiaries in time.
6. Support the Aanganwadi worker's job through in-built counseling aids, alerts and auto plotting of graphs and due lists.
7. Aid collection of real-time data enabling supportive supervision and timely intervention by the department official.

About ICT-RTM:

ICT-RTM are to be driven by a customised Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS). ICDS-CAS is customised common application software developed by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

ICDS-CAS would be deployed in two applications, which is Aanganwadi Worker Application and Supervisor Application. Aanganwadi Worker Application will run on Android Smart Phones and Supervisor Application will run on Tablets. Besides, ICT-RTM would provide web-based Dashboards at Block, District, State and Central levels.

To begin with, the system has been tried in the Loni block of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is supporting the development of ICDS-CAS platform, and providing application and training support for this initiative to the Ministry. These technological innovations will help develop and test new interventions, implementation approaches and data measurement systems to deliver quality service to tackle the problem of under-nutrition in India.

The Ministry, through ICDS Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP), expects ICT-RTM to cover 100,000 Aanganwadi Centers across 8 ISSNIP states - Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - by December 2016 and subsequently across the country under ISSNIP and the proposed National Nutrition Mission.

V. Somasundaran, Secretary, WCD said that Ministry of Women and Child Development is committed to the goal of improving overall development of children including nutritional and health status of children in the age-group 0-6 years. The Rapid Reporting System will strengthen monitoring and supervision of ICDS scheme and will improve public accountability and transparency.