Jaipur, Feb. 9 -- The Centre has approved the upgrade of 3,514 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) in Rajasthan into "Saksham Anganwadis" under the Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programmes, which aim to strengthen early childhood care, nutrition services, and digital monitoring systems across the state. According to information shared on Friday in the Lok Sabha by Union women and child development minister Annapurna Devi, the upgraded Saksham Anganwadis will feature improved infrastructure such as LED screens for digital learning, water filtration systems, Poshan Vatikas (nutrition gardens), early childhood care and education (ECCE) materials, and BALA (building as learning aid) paintings to promote child-friendly learning environments. The move is part of a nationwide plan to strengthen 200,000 Anganwadi centres during the 15th Finance Commission cycle to enhance nutrition delivery and early childhood education services. The initiative integrates advanced digital systems through the Poshan Tracker application, enabling real-time monitoring of child growth, attendance, and nutrition indicators. The app tracks the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children while maintaining records of daily activities, including meals served, ECCE sessions, and growth measurements. It also provides counselling videos on maternal and child health practices, including breastfeeding, post-natal care, and complementary feeding. To improve transparency and last-mile service delivery, a Facial Recognition System (FRS) has been introduced for the distribution of Take-Home Ration (THR), ensuring that benefits reach registered beneficiaries. A nominee feature has also been added, allowing pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls to receive rations through authorised representatives if they cannot visit the centre personally. Under the programme, Anganwadi workers are being equipped with smartphones and internet connectivity support to facilitate digital data entry and efficient use of the Poshan Tracker. Regular training workshops and self-learning modules are being conducted to enhance their digital skills, while block and district coordinators provide on-ground technical assistance. States and Union Territories have also been advised to phase out physical registers to strengthen digital governance. While the central government is responsible for policy planning and monitoring, the state government and local authorities will carry out the day-to-day implementation of the scheme....