Latest news with #PoshanTracker
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Key cities switch to face recognition tech
Lucknow: Among the districts that have incorporated face recognition technology in the Take-Home Ration (THR) scheme, Kanpur Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bijnor, Unnao, and Jhansi are the top five districts in the state that were quick to migrate to the new system. The new system must be in place across the state by July 1. The new system will ensure transparency and accountability, said a govt spokesperson, as food will be provided to eligible beneficiaries through face recognition. A pilot project was launched in the Bidhnu and Sarsaul blocks of Kanpur Nagar in Aug 2024. Encouraged by the results, the govt rolled out the system across the state on Nov 14, 2024. As of June 2025, face capture was completed for 10.84% of the 11.85 crore eligible beneficiaries in the state, with eKYC completed for 8.26%. Aadhaar-based face authentication also reached 7.18%. Face recognition will be mandatory for all new beneficiaries from Aug 1. According to latest data, Kanpur Nagar leads with 71,791 face captures and 58,790 eKYC. Other leading districts include Ghaziabad, Bijnor, Unnao, Jhansi, Shamli, Shahjahanpur, Etawah, Mathura, and Farrukhabad. FRS, which has been integrated into the Poshan Tracker, is a two-level authentication system that uses facial recognition and OTP verification.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
From July 1, facial recognition for take-home meals at anganwadis
1 2 Jaipur: Effective from July 1, beneficiaries will receive take-home nutrition at anganwadi centres exclusively through a facial recognition system (FRS). Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) department has instructed officials to expedite the enrolment process for facial recognition and e-KYC on the Poshan Tracker platform. Additionally, it will be mandatory to record the attendance of children aged three to six years registered at anganwadi centres and the hot supplementary nutrition distributed to them on the Poshan Tracker. "As per the instructions received from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India, from July 1, 2025, the distribution of take-home ration to the beneficiaries registered on Poshan Tracker will be done compulsorily through FRS," states an order issued by the department. Officials said beneficiaries can update their KYC details on the Poshan Tracker. "Encourage the beneficiaries to get their photo/mobile number updated in their Aadhaar so that the work of e-KYC can be done easily and organise special camps by establishing coordination with Aadhaar Seva Kendras at the district level to get the Aadhaar of the beneficiaries updated," mentions the order. From Aug 1, registration of beneficiaries on Poshan Tracker will also be possible through FRS. Till now, details of over 18 lakh beneficiaries have been linked out of over 23 lakh beneficiaries. Officials said the delay in updating records of all beneficiaries is due to Aadhaar details not matching with their contact details. Due to this, beneficiaries have been given the option of updating their details on their own.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- India Gazette
Cybersecurity Workshop by Women and Child Development Ministry boosts digital safety, resilience across governance systems
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, organised a 'Cyber Security Awareness Workshop' on Friday at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. It focused on spreading awareness about online safety, cyber threats, and safe internet practices, especially for women and children, who are at the heart of nation-building. This workshop marks the first phase of a larger initiative. The next phase will take this effort to the field level, ensuring that cyber awareness and digital security practices permeate to frontline workers, Anganwadi staff, and state-level stakeholders who are critical to the Ministry's service delivery network. The workshop witnessed enthusiastic participation from officers and officials of the Ministry of Women and Child Development including its subsidiaries and autonomous bodies such as the National Commission for Women (NCW), Savitribai Phule National Institute for Women and Child Development, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Top cybersecurity minds from government and industry assembled for this workshop to take a 360 view on tackling digital threats. Experts from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) - Ministry of Home Affairs highlighted the increasing complexity of cybercrime and the need for heightened awareness and enhanced coordination. CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team), the national nodal agency under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, shared insights on cybersecurity, policy and data protection. PwC India brought real-world hacks to the table, revealing why digital resilience is non-negotiable. From phishing to portal security, sessions empowered participants with practical tools. They reinforced one core message: Cybersecurity isn't a one-time fix -- it's a daily habit rooted in vigilance and responsibility. Speaking on the occasion, Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, said that we live in a time when our work and communication are deeply integrated with digital platforms. As government functionaries handling sensitive data, it is essential that we remain vigilant and well-informed. According to Malik, this workshop is a timely initiative aimed at equipping us with the right knowledge and practices. He urged all to make the most of these sessions. Over the past decade, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has adopted technology to drive inclusive development and efficient service delivery. Initiatives like the Poshan Tracker- Recognised with the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence 2024, have replaced manual records with real-time dashboards across 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres, enabling data-driven decision-making and service delivery for over 10 crore beneficiaries. According to the WCD, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana operates entirely through a paperless, Aadhaar-enabled DBT system, with mobile-based registration and real-time grievance redressal for the direct disbursement of funds to the bank accounts of beneficiaries. The adoption of Facial recognition ensures accurate beneficiary authentication. At the same time, platforms like She-Box and Mission Shakti Portal, as well as the Mission Vatsalya Portal, offer technology-led access to safety and legal redressal. As digital reliance grows, ensuring cybersecurity is crucial. Awareness and capacity building on cyber hygiene are crucial for protecting data and maintaining trust in these systems. Through this initiative, the Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding digital spaces and creating a safe, transparent, and accountable digital governance environment. As India moves forward in its Amrit Kaal, the transformative period towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, the Ministry is dedicated to equipping its ecosystem with the tools and knowledge required to contribute meaningfully to a Viksit Bharat. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Anganwadi workers push for digital aid
Anganwadi workers led by Anganwadi Mulazim Union Punjab protested here on Wednesday demanding laptops and internet connections at Anganwadi centres to facilitate the tasks in the Poshan Tracker app. Workers staging a protest on Gill road against state government, demanding laptops and internet connections at Anganwadi centres in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT) The anganwadi workers, according to Subhash Rani, president of Anganwadi Mulazim Union Punjab, are supposed to enter all the details of food items dispensed at the centres in the app. But they don't have the devices to use the application. 'We are asked to use our personal phones. Why should we use our personal phones,' she asked, pointing that the Union Government has been giving funds for providing the anganwadi workers with phones and other devices to facilitate the digitisation effort, since 2018 when the app was rolled out. 'The funds are given every four years. As such we should have got at least two phones by now. But we haven't received any here in Punjab. In other states, workers are given phones as per the scheme,' she claimed. The workers have stopped registering the details of pregnant ladies that benefit from the supplementary nutrition programme in the application in protest for the last three months. 'We are threatened that we will be terminated from service if we don't restart the registration work. But how can we do it if we don't have the required devices. You can't expect an army to fight without weapons,' she added. The union submitted a memorandum to the district programme officer demanding laptops/tablets and internet connection at anganwadi centres for the purpose. The union also said that the government should do away with the provision of OTP sent to beneficiaries as they were reluctant in sharing the same. 'When distributing the sanctioned food items, we are supposed to ask the beneficiary ladies for OTPs. These poor labour workers are scared of digital fraud and refuse to share OTPs, which makes it hard for us to complete the process. This must be done away with,' said the union leader. DPO Anganwadi Gulbahar Singh Toor said that the department was in the process of procuring tablets and they would be provided to the workers in two to three months. He also emphasised that the department provided data package worth ₹ 2000 per year to workers to use their personal smartphones to access the Poshan Tracker app.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
OTP, face recognition must for take-home ration
Lucknow: The state govt will integrate the face recognition system (FRS) into the Poshan Tracker to check corruption and ensure that nutritious food provided to pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescents and children aged 6 months to 6 years reaches the targeted beneficiaries. Poshan Tracker is a mobile application-based nutrition monitoring system. This tool has been developed to identify the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight among children and track the last-mile delivery of nutrition services. A deadline of July 1, 2025, has been set to ensure 100% FRS coverage for the Take Home Ration (THR) scheme for which an awareness and registration campaign will be launched across the state soon. An official said FRS operates as a dual-authentication mechanism, combining facial recognition with one-time password (OTP) verification. Photographs of beneficiaries are matched with Aadhaar-linked e-KYC data, and OTPs are sent to their registered mobile numbers, which are then verified at anganwadi centres. This helps prevent fraud and ensures that rations reach the intended recipients. The pilot project was launched in 2024 in Kanpur Nagar's Bidhanu and Sarsaul. As of June 13, 2025, e-KYC for 1.18 crore eligible beneficiaries is underway, with Kanpur Nagar leading at 45.34% progress. Districts like Badaun and Bahraich, which have shown slow progress, are being given focused attention. Among the key directions issued to make this project a success are instructions to release funds for THR only to FRS-registered beneficiaries. FRS will be mandatory for new beneficiaries from Aug 1 and district magistrates have been instructed to hold registration camps at the block and panchayat levels, monitor progress daily, and raise awareness. Chief development officers have been mandated to carry out regular reviews to ensure timely implementation of the scheme.
