🤔 ASHA + Anganwadi Workers Kya Hai?
ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) aur Anganwadi workers India ki primary healthcare aur child welfare system ki backbone hain. ASHA scheme National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) ke under 2005 mein shuru hui — har gaon mein 1 ASHA, total approx 10.5 lakh ASHAs across India. Anganwadi system Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) ke under 1975 se chal raha hai — 13.78 lakh Anganwadi Workers (AWW) + 13 lakh Anganwadi Helpers (AWH) — total approx 26.7 lakh workers. Dono saath mein India mein 35+ lakh women frontline workers ka network ban-ti hain — world ka largest community health network.
Kaam kya hai: ASHA — pregnant women ko hospital tak le jaana, immunization, polio drops, TB-HIV-malaria patient tracking, ANC/PNC checkups, family planning counselling, COVID surveillance (2020-22 ki backbone). Anganwadi Worker — 3-6 saal ke bachhon ko pre-school education + cooked meal (Take Home Ration), pregnant/lactating mothers ko nutrition supplements, immunization camp organize, growth monitoring, adolescent girls (Sabla scheme) ko iron/folic acid. Anganwadi Helper — cooking, cleaning, assistance.
Legal status: 'Volunteer' / 'Honorary Worker' — government formal employee NAHI hain. Matlab no PF, no ESI, no gratuity, no pension, no leave entitlement, no minimum wage applicability. Yeh sab social welfare schemes 'shram daan' framework pe chalti hain — jo Indian Constitution + ILO conventions ke under exploitation ke borderline hai. Supreme Court ne 2022 mein Anganwadi workers ko 'employees' declare kiya gratuity ke liye, lekin implementation state-wise alag alag.
Indian reality: ASHA Telangana mein ₹6,000 + incentives, UP mein ₹2,000-3,000 + incentives, Bihar mein ₹1,500-2,500. Anganwadi Worker — central government ₹4,500/month + state top-up (Telangana ₹13,650, Kerala ₹11,000, Haryana ₹12,500, UP ₹4,000-5,500). Helper — ₹2,250 central + state top-up. Incentive based — har delivery, immunization, contraception case pe ₹100-600 milta hai ASHA ko. Yeh chat room un behno ke liye hai jo apna haq, demands, union activity, regularisation movement samajhna chahti hain.
