Anganwadi worker is supervised by?

HPSSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: HPSSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Explanation

The Anganwadi Worker (AWW) is a key functionary of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
Within the ICDS hierarchy, the AWW is directly supervised by the Mukhyasevika, who is also referred to as the Lady Supervisor.
A Mukhyasevika is responsible for guiding, monitoring, and providing on-the-job training to a group of AWWs in her designated sector.
Typically, one Mukhyasevika supervises about 20-25 Anganwadi Workers, ensuring the quality and consistency of service delivery.

Option B: The Male Health Worker (MPHW-M) is an employee of the Health Department, whereas the Anganwadi Worker is part of the ICDS scheme under the Department of Women and Child Development. They are from different administrative structures.
Option C: This option is incorrect because only the Mukhyasevika has a supervisory role. The Male Health Worker's role is one of coordination and collaboration, not supervision.
Option D: This is incorrect as there is a designated supervisor for the Anganwadi Worker within the ICDS framework, which is the Mukhyasevika.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Supervisory structure of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the supervisory chain is crucial for nurses and community health officers to know the correct person to contact for program coordination, reporting issues, or escalating concerns related to the health and nutrition of mothers and children covered by ICDS.
Clear roles prevent confusion. A nurse at a PHC collaborates with the AWW for services like immunization but reports programmatic issues or seeks guidance from the Mukhyasevika or CDPO, not the AWW directly.
What if? If an AWW consistently fails to mobilize children for immunization day, the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) should first collaborate with the AWW. If the issue persists, she should report it to her supervisor (Lady Health Visitor/Health Assistant Female) and also inform the AWW's supervisor, the Mukhyasevika, for corrective action.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is about the administrative hierarchy of a specific government program (ICDS).
Recall the key functionaries of the ICDS scheme: Anganwadi Worker (AWW), Anganwadi Helper (AWH), Mukhyasevika (Supervisor), and Child Development Project Officer (CDPO).
Differentiate between roles of supervision and coordination. The question asks for the 'supervisor'.
Analyze the options. 'Mukhyasevika' is the official title for the supervisor in the ICDS structure.
Eliminate 'Male health worker' as they belong to the Health Department, a separate entity from the Department of Women and Child Development that runs ICDS.
Since the Male Health Worker is not a supervisor, the 'Both' option is also incorrect, leading to the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Supervisory structure of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
Stem keywords: Anganwadi worker, supervised by
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE

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E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health Nursing for BSc Nursing Students Part 2 — Subpart B (pp 276-535 of 550) p. 144-146