The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, successfully convened the Zonal Meeting today ( 12th July 2025 ) at Kevadia, Gujarat, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance Centre-State collaboration and fast-track implementation of key flagship schemes in the domain of women and child development.
The meeting was chaired by Smt. Annpurna Devi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, and graced by the esteemed presence of Smt. Savitri Thakur, Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Smt. Bhanuben Babariya, Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of Gujarat, Ms. Nirmala Bhuria, Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and Dr. Manju Baghmar, Minister of State Women & Child Development Department, Government of Rajasthan.
The Zonal Meeting also saw active participation of senior officers from the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Goa. Deliberations centred around the convergence of efforts under Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, with States showcasing best practices, innovative approaches, and successful interventions for mutual learning and replication.
Delivering the keynote address, Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi paid homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and underscored the importance of unified efforts in realising the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a Suposhit Bharat and inclusive national development led by empowered women and nurtured children. She highlighted that the adoption of technological tools such as the Face Recognition System (FRS) under Saksham Anganwadi is instrumental in ensuring transparency, accountability, and improved governance.
As a significant update under Poshan 2.0, it was announced that from 1st August the beneficiary registration will be done using biometric authentication, ensuring better targeting and service delivery.
Furthermore, dedicated learning modules on Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2,0 have been developed and will be made available on the iGOT Karmayogi platform, for strengthening knowledge and capacity-building framework for State, District and field workers across the country.
The Minister urged States and UTs to strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms, ensure timely delivery of services at Anganwadis, and have more effective beneficiary targeting. She also emphasised the need to enhance digital literacy among adolescent girls and young mothers and reposition platforms like the Poshan Helpline from being grievance centres to platforms for citizen engagement and service quality improvement.
The Zonal Meeting concluded with renewed resolve among participants to accelerate progress towards the shared national vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, prioritising inclusive growth, digital innovation, and cross-sectoral coordination for the empowerment of women and the welfare of children.