Odisha Launches ‘AWESOME’ App and Anganwadi Awareness Campaign to Boost Childcare Services

Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards strengthening early childhood care and nutrition services, the Odisha government on Tuesday launched the Anganwadi Welfare and Service Oversight Monitoring Everywhere (AWESOME) app along with a state-wide Anganwadi awareness campaign titled “Aasa Jiba Anganwadi.”

The twin initiatives were launched by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida during a state-level capacity-building workshop for over 400 Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) from across Odisha. The campaign, running from August 1 to 15, encourages community members to visit their nearest Anganwadi Centres, assess cleanliness, infrastructure, and service delivery, and submit feedback to drive improvements.

The launch coincides with World Breastfeeding Week (August 1–7), further amplifying the government’s commitment to child health and nutrition. The AWESOME app is a digital tool developed to monitor infrastructure and service delivery at Anganwadi Centres in real-time, promoting transparency, accountability, and responsiveness across the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) framework.

Speaking at the event, Deputy CM Parida emphasized the critical role of CDPOs in advancing Odisha’s vision of becoming a malnutrition-free state by 2036. “Empowering frontline leaders like CDPOs is key to transforming grassroots governance and ensuring holistic child development,” she said. She also praised their role in the success of initiatives like SUBHDRA, which promotes maternal and child welfare.

Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja urged CDPOs to adopt people-centric, innovative strategies and highlighted the importance of integrated health, nutrition, and education efforts under the Vision Odisha 2036 framework.

A significant highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Women and Child Development and the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD). The partnership aims to facilitate ongoing training and professional development of ICDS staff, enhancing the efficiency and technical expertise of field-level officers.

Representing NIPCCD, Additional Director Sanghamitra Barik said the collaboration would support continuous learning and boost the capacity of frontline workers in managing child-centric programs.

The workshop included a series of technical sessions focused on administrative, financial, and legal responsibilities of CDPOs. Key sessions included:

• Elora Mohanty, Financial Advisor and Special Secretary, on roles of CDPOs as Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs)
• Itishree Das on pension rules, performance appraisals, and leave policies
• Jyotishankar Mahapatra, Additional Secretary, on workplace safety and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act

The day concluded with a collective reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to empower women and children through robust community engagement, digital innovation, and strengthened frontline leadership.