The Centre has expanded access to low-cost medicines and strengthened nutrition services for women and children, the Government has informed Parliament recently.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda told the Lok Sabha that 17,990 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) are now functional across India as of December 31, 2025. Of these, 1,058 centres are in Bihar. The scheme, launched in 2014 with just 80 stores, aims to make quality medicines affordable and reduce people’s out-of-pocket spending.
Jan Aushadhi stores sell generic medicines that are far cheaper than branded drugs but have the same quality and effectiveness. The product list currently includes over 2,100 medicines and 315 surgical items and medical devices, covering major illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, infections, allergies, and stomach disorders. Nutritional supplements are also available.
Replying to a written question, Nadda said the government has built a strong quality control system. Medicines are sourced only from units certified under WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation. Every batch is tested at laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) before reaching the shelves.
The centres are opened through online applications from entrepreneurs, NGOs, trusts, and private firms. So far, 767 districts across the country have been covered, he said.
Alongside cheaper medicines, the government is also working to improve nutrition delivery at the grassroots through Mission Poshan 2.0, said the Government.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi, in the Lok Sabha replying to a question related to her Ministry, said that under the Mission Poshan 2.0 programme, two lakh Anganwadi Centres are being upgraded into Saksham Anganwadis during the current Finance Commission cycle, at the rate of 40,000 centres per year.
These upgraded centres are designed to offer better facilities for nutrition services and early childhood care and education.
They are equipped with improved infrastructure such as LED screens, water filters, Poshan Vatikas (nutrition gardens), learning material, and child-friendly wall paintings. As of January 31, 2026, two lakh centres across India—including 3,514 in Rajasthan—have been approved for upgradation, she pointed out.
To improve transparency and monitoring, the government has introduced the Poshan Tracker, a digital system that records services delivered at Anganwadi centres.
The app helps track attendance, growth of children, hot cooked meals or take-home rations, and early education activities. It also allows workers to identify children who are stunted, underweight, or wasted using near real-time data.
The platform includes counselling videos on pregnancy care, breastfeeding, and child feeding practices. Anganwadi workers receive regular training and also have access to self-learning modules within the app, she explained.
For last-mile delivery, a Facial Recognition System (FRS) has been built into the Poshan Tracker to ensure that take-home rations reach the right beneficiary. A nominee system is also available. If a pregnant woman, lactating mother, or adolescent girl cannot come in person, she can authorise someone else to collect the ration on her behalf after e-KYC verification.
To run the system, Anganwadi workers have been given smartphones by states and Union Territories. They also receive internet support of ₹2,000 per year per centre. Block and district coordinators help them handle technical issues, and states have been advised to phase out paper registers, she said.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a centrally sponsored scheme. While the Centre frames policies, daily implementation is carried out by states and UT administrations.
