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CentralGirl Child / Health & Maternity

Scheme for Adolescent Girls (under Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0)

Nutrition and life-skills support for out-of-school adolescent girls

Government

Central Government

Who it’s for

Adolescent Girls (14–18 years, out-of-school)

Application mode

In-person at Anganwadi Centre

Processing time

Enrolment is typically immediate upon verification at the Anganwadi Centre.

Deadline / renewal

Ongoing — girl remains enrolled until she ages out at 18 or re-enters formal schooling (subject to local programme rules).

What it provides

Nutrition support (take-home ration), health check-ups, nutrition & health education, and life-skills/vocational guidance for out-of-school adolescent girls, aiming to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.

Benefits breakdown

Take-home ration/nutritionFreeAs per Anganwadi Centre norms
Health check-upsFreePeriodic, at the Anganwadi Centre
Life-skills & vocational guidanceFreeSessions conducted at/through the Anganwadi Centre

Who’s eligible

Out-of-school adolescent girls aged 14-18 years (11-14 for the nutrition component in aspirational districts).

Documents required

  • Aadhaar card (if available)
  • Proof of being out-of-school (self-declaration/Anganwadi worker verification)
  • Age proof (birth certificate/school leaving certificate)

How to apply

In-person / offline

  1. Visit the nearest Anganwadi Centre with the adolescent girl
  2. Anganwadi Worker verifies age and out-of-school status and enrols the girl in the register
  3. Girl begins receiving nutrition support, periodic health check-ups and participates in life-skills sessions

Helpline

Contact local Anganwadi worker or district ICDS/Poshan office

FAQs

Is this only for out-of-school girls?

The primary vocational/life-skills component targets out-of-school girls aged 14-18; the younger 11-14 nutrition component may also cover some in-school girls in specific aspirational districts — confirm locally.

What was this scheme called earlier?

It builds on the earlier SABLA (Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls) and is now delivered through Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.

Last verified 31 August 2026