The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, organised the National Workshop on Early Childhood Education: Laying the Foundation as part of the preparatory activities for the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries. The workshop aimed to foster knowledge exchange, policy convergence, and collaborative strategy development.
Supported by knowledge partner Rocket Learning, the workshop helped chart the path forward by identifying policy gaps, sharing successful ground-level models, and co-creating strategies to strengthen access, quality, and outcomes in ECE through integrated approaches and community participation. It marked a significant step toward realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The workshop featured keynote addresses by eminent speakers, panel discussions, and state-level consultations showcasing best practices in early childhood care and education. Panel themes included: India to the World and Back: Global Best Practices, Foundations First: Shaping Futures from Three to Six, and Nurturing Potential: Investing in the First Three Years.
Across three panel discussions, the event explored key dimensions of early childhood development — from global innovations in ECCE to curriculum and pedagogy for children aged three to six, and the importance of investing in the first three years of life. Speakers included global experts from institutions such as the World Bank, Stanford University, and the Agency Fund, as well as Indian leaders from NCERT, Pratham, CMC Vellore, and key state governments.
Speakers included:
- Dr James Heckman, Nobel Laureate and Professor, University of Chicago
- Dr Kanwaljeet Sunny Anand, Professor, Stanford University
- Ms Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Mr Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development
- Mr Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education
- Mr Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
- Dr Vinod K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog