Time for govts to give better service conditions for Anganwadi workers: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday said time has come for the Centre and state governments to provide better service conditions to thousands of "voiceless" workers and helpers appointed to work in Anganwadi centres set up under the Integrated Child Development Scheme, in view of pivotal role played by them in rendering vital services.

"Anganwadi workers/helpers also function as a bridge between the government and the targeted beneficiaries... They work in proximate quarters with the beneficiaries and their services are utilised by the respective state governments for a wide range of activities be it survey, promotion of small savings, providing health care, group insurance, or non¬formal education," a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Abhay S Oka noted.

Dealing with an appeal arising out of the Gujarat High Court's judgement, the division bench by separate and concurring view declared that workers and helpers appointed to work in Anganwadi centres set up under the Integrated Child Development Scheme are entitled to gratuity under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.

In the ICDS scheme implemented through Anganwadis, a pivotal role is being played by Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers, by taking care of children in the age group 0 to 6 years, which constitutes around 158 million children as per 2011 census, the court pointed out.

The ICDS Scheme is one of the flagship programmes of the Government of India and represents one of the world’s largest and unique programmes for early childhood care and development.

"It is the foremost symbol of the country’s commitment to its children and nursing mothers, as a response to the challenge of providing pre-school non¬-formal education on one hand and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality on the other," the bench said.

The role of Anganwadi workers (AWW) and Anganwadi helpers (AWH) is not only at war against malnutrition but have played a pivotal and significant role during the Covid-19 pandemic which was the unprecedented health war faced by the nation in responding to the various challenges posed, it added.

"ICDS is an extended arm of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and their nature of services been provided to a common man must be acknowledged by the legislation," the court said.

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