– By Vasudha Arabandi, National Initiatives and Communications Associate
It’s often said that you make your life in your late 20s. After years of education and a series of many firsts, you decide what direction you want your life to take. Do you become a teacher, stay the course in your career or decide to do an MBA? The potential is endless and the stakes are high.
The same is the case for India. India is a young country. The median age of India is 28.4 years. This young age is a window of opportunity for the country, a defining period where we decide whether to use this moment or let it go. As we speak, India is aging rapidly. According to a research report published by McKinsey Global Institute, India has 33 years until it is as old as advanced economies. A younger population translates into a bigger workforce, which leads to higher productivity and, eventually, a more prosperous nation. That means every policy we make today, every investment in education from foundational learning to higher studies, will decide whether we turn this youth into a strength or watch it fade into a missed chance.
To fully capitalise on this demographic dividend, the time to act is now. To act now is to ensure that the youngest in our demographic dividend have the best chance at a bright future, especially given how critical these years are for overall development.
85% of brain development happens before the age of 6. The first 1,000 days of life starting from the antenatal period in the mother’s womb, to the perinatal period, and the first two years of life are crucial for a child’s cognitive development, as maximum brain maturation occurs during this period. A positive and stimulating home environment and appropriate learning opportunities during preschool years can further boost a child’s developmental and cognitive abilities. Children receiving high-quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) are 30% more likely to graduate from school, and 40% less likely to repeat classes 1–8 if they have received ECE.
The science is all there — we just need to invest in the science.
We are home to 13.7 crore children under the age of 6, making up 13.2% of the country’s total population and representing one in every five children globally. 60% of these children, 8.8 crore, are enrolled in the Anganwadi system. However this number does not reflect in investments that are made.
India’s public expenditure on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) amounts to about 3–4% of the education budget, which is lower than the lower-middle-income average of 6.5%. The UNESCO Global Partnership Strategy for Early Childhood (2021–2030) outlines the need to increase investment in pre-primary education from an average of 2% of education budgets in 2018 to 10% by 2030. On International Youth Day, this is a call to action — investing in our youngest learners is the surest way to secure the future of our youth, and through them, the future of our nation.
The critique on the lack of investments is not to say that nothing is being done. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has launched programmes like Mission Saksham Anganwadi, along with Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, which aims to turn Anganwadi Centres into vibrant hubs for learning. MWCD has also introduced curricula such as Aadharshila and Navchetna, which provide caregivers and Anganwadi workers with monthly guidance and activities to ensure the holistic development of our children. Under these programmes so far over 6 Lakh Anganwadi workers have been trained.
Recently, the National Workshop on Early Childhood Education: Laying the Foundation brought together representatives from states, Union Territories, and civil society organisations. Through such initiatives, the MWCD is working at both the state and central levels to ensure that India is truly Viksit by 2047.
As Prime Minister Modi recently said, “India’s youth has the capacity to change not only its own fate but the fate of the entire world.” We just need to ensure that they are equipped with every tool required to succeed—and the very first tool must be uncompromised access to quality education.