'3.5 lakh anganwadis running from rented premises'

New Delhi: A total of 3.5 lakh anganwadis in the country are running from rented premises, the Women and Child Development ministry said on Wednesday.

In a written response in Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani gave data according to which there are 1389110 operational anganwadi centres in the country. Out of them, the number of anganwadis running from rented premises are 356956, the data said.

Responding to another question, Irani said 4345 children lost both their parents to COVID-19 and they have been identified as beneficiaries under the PM CARES for Children scheme. She also said according to National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) data, 4919 complaints were received relating to violations of the Right to Education Act in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.