In a move to enhance early childhood education and nutrition delivery, the Central government has unveiled comprehensive guidelines to facilitate the co-location of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) within primary school campuses, here today.
The initiative is part of a broader push to optimize infrastructure, improve service delivery, and ensure smoother transitions from early childhood care to formal schooling.
The guidelines, developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of School Education and Literacy in collaboration, outline the essential infrastructure, operational standards, and implementation protocols required for successful integration of AWCs with schools. States and Union Territories (UTs) have been advised to prioritize centres operating from rented spaces, lacking permanent structures, or serving vulnerable populations, such as children from tribal communities, migrant families, and economically weaker sections. The goal is to enhance outreach and quality of services in areas most in need.
Currently, out of more than 14 lakh AWCs across India, approximately 2.9 lakh are already located on school premises. The government now aims to significantly increase this number to strengthen the synergy between early learning and nutritional support systems.
To ensure accessibility, the guidelines recommend that co-located centres should ideally be within 500 meters in urban areas and one kilometer in rural settings of their original location. However, states and UTs are allowed flexibility based on local terrain and circumstances.
For schools selected to host AWCs, basic infrastructure must include indoor learning spaces, safe drinking water, separate child-friendly toilets, a kitchen for preparing meals, and an outdoor play area. The establishment of a Poshan Vatika (nutrition garden) is also encouraged to support health and food education initiatives.
In terms of security, schools must ensure safe and designated access points for AWCs, ideally with separate entry and exit gates. Where this isn’t feasible, proper measures should be taken to guarantee safety for all, including pregnant women and nursing mothers who use AWC services.
No more than two AWCs should be housed within a single primary school, and this too is dependent on the availability of adequate space. If a school cannot accommodate both, one may be co-located physically while others can be linked to the school administratively to ensure service continuity.
Where physical co-location isn’t possible due to infrastructural limitations, the guideline advises mapping the AWC to the nearest school offering Grade 1, ensuring children have a seamless progression from early learning into formal education.
As a starting point, States and UTs are required to update and rationalize data on existing AWCs, classifying them based on functionality and ownership (government, community, or rented). This will help identify which centres are already co-located and which ones are potential candidates for relocation.
To support planning and implementation, the use of the Gati Shakti portal has been encouraged, enabling precise mapping and infrastructure planning for current and future needs.
The integration drive is aligned with the government’s ongoing Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programs, reinforcing efforts to deliver comprehensive early childhood care, nutrition, and pre-school education under a unified framework.
By bringing education and nutrition services under one roof and strengthening physical infrastructure, the government aims to provide millions of children with a stronger foundation for learning and development, a statement from the Ministry of Women and Child Development stated.