Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a massive recruitment drive to fill 69,206 vacant posts in Anganwadi centers — including 7,952 Anganwadi workers and 61,254 helpers (sahayikas).
While this seems like a positive step to strengthen the delivery of health, nutrition, and early education at the grassroots, the stark reality cannot be ignored: the women who carry out this critical work continue to be grossly undervalued and underpaid.
Anganwadi: India’s Unsung Lifeline
Since their inception under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, Anganwadi workers have been the face of maternal and child health in villages and urban slums. They:
- Provide supplementary nutrition and hot meals to children under six, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
- Monitor child growth and ensure timely immunizations and health checkups.
- Run pre-school education programs that prepare children for formal schooling.
- Act as community health guides, crisis managers, and social mobilizers.
Simply put, they are the first line of defense against malnutrition, infant mortality, and poor maternal health. Yet, despite being indispensable, their status remains invisible in policy circles.
The Vacancy Breakdown
- Workers: Of the 7,952 posts, 2,123 remain vacant from last year’s recruitment due to faulty paperwork, incorrect application of reservations, or candidates refusing to join. An additional 5,523 posts have been created due to the opening of new centers.
- Helpers: Of the 61,254 helper posts, 38,994 became vacant after existing staff retired at 62 years or passed away. A further 22,260 posts arose when mini-Anganwadi centers were upgraded to full centers.
Education Demanded, Dignity Denied
To qualify, women must be Intermediate (Class 12 pass), aged 18–35. In fact, half of the worker posts are reserved for helpers with at least five years’ service in their village or ward. Yet, despite requiring literacy, community experience, and accountability, their compensation does not even match minimum standards.
The Pay Paradox
- Anganwadi Workers: ₹7,500 per month (≈ ₹250 a day).
- Anganwadi Helpers: ₹3,750 per month (≈ ₹125 a day).
Now compare this with the statutory wage rates under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act):
- In Uttar Pradesh, the notified daily wage for unskilled manual labour in 2025 is ₹230 per day.
This means:
- An Anganwadi helper, tasked with feeding children, maintaining hygiene, and supporting health programs, earns less than a rural labourer digging a pit under MGNREGA.
- An Anganwadi worker, who manages entire centers and is accountable for dozens of children and women, earns roughly the same as a daily wage labourer.
The cruel irony is that the State entrusts these women with the future of the nation’s children, but values their labour as if it were casual, unskilled work.
A Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Yes, recruiting over 69,000 women will expand coverage and bring services to lakhs of households. But until Anganwadi staff are recognized as formal government employees with salaries, pensions, and benefits, this will remain a band-aid solution.
The truth is stark: India cannot claim to fight malnutrition, improve maternal health, or boost early education while continuing to exploit the very women who make these goals achievable.
The Unanswered Question
The real issue is not the number of vacancies filled but the value attached to the role. If a government can pay a daily wage labourer ₹230 per day for unskilled work, how can it justify paying an Anganwadi helper just ₹125 per day to cook, clean, and care for children?
Until that contradiction is resolved, every recruitment drive will remain an announcement on paper, not a genuine investment in India’s most vulnerable citizens — its children and its women.
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