Sanjana Manaktala, Lead – National Initiatives and Apurva Desai, Lead – Communications
India as a country has two undeniable advantages – it is home to the world’s largest adolescent and youth population, and the world’s largest public nutrition and childcare centre network. Across the country, 13.9 Lakh (1.39 million) operational Anganwadi centers provide supplementary nutrition and public pre-school education to 8 crore (80 million) children under the age of 6. The demographic bulge is key to the Indian government’s vision of a “New India.” Through a systems-wide approach adopted to bolster the inclusive and sustainable development of our children, mothers, and women, the country is committed to empowering its future nation-builders.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched Poshan Abhiyaan in 2018 to fast track progress towards a malnutrition-free India. To accelerate improvement in nutrition and child development outcomes, the scheme was restructured and became Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, during the 15th Finance Commission period 2021-22 to 2025-26. The programme provides supplementary nutrition to children of the age group of 6 months to 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers (PWLM), and adolescent girls. Under the Saksham Anganwadi programme, several imaginative and mindful policy interventions exemplify the country’s commitment to its children and mothers – to provide pre-school, non-formal education, and break the wicked cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality.
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Under the stewardship of Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi, the Poshan Tracker Application was launched in 2021 with the goal to record and digitize data related to malnutrition and service delivery at the last mile. Anganwadi workers were provided with smartphones for dynamic identification of stunting, wasting, under-weight prevalence among children. The app also helps supervisors and program officials access a web-dashboard to track progress and address supply chain gaps.
The real-time monitoring of Anganwadi centers, Anganwadi workers and beneficiaries on defined indicators has critically enabled a holistic overview of the progress of the program. Its availability in regional languages, reasserts the government’s focus on “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas”.
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Early learning is an undisputed essential for children to achieve their full human potential and it reflects in the inclusion of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) [3-6 years] and early stimulation for (0-3 years) as a key vertical under the mission. “Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi”, Education Along with Nutrition, was first announced as a key theme in September 2022 during Poshan Maah, with the Ministry conducting 81 Lakh education events with communities around the country. Under the National Action Plan for Toys, “Team up for Toys” was launched to facilitate creation of “Do It Yourself (DIY)” toy kits to contribute towards children’s sensory and cognitive development.
Toys, used as teaching-learning material, also help develop oral language and emergent literacy, cultural value development, and physical development. “Creation Workshops” were conducted for all Anganwadi workers where they were trained (by expert trainers) to use locally and easily available material like spare textiles, building materials, etc. Indigenous toys were also highlighted, like the Channapatna toys of Karnataka, Etikoppakka Toys of Andhra Pradesh, toys made with recycled and upcycled materials such as coir toys of Kerala and betel nut toys of Madhya Pradesh etc. Under Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat, states have also been paired up to exchange their toy cultures. These efforts have successfully lent themselves to increased awareness and production of indigenous toys in India.
With the promise to ensure every child’s right to education, the evolved ECCE programme focuses on play-based, activity-based learning and pedagogy, targeted specifically at developmental milestones of 0-3-year-olds as well as 3-6-year olds, including special support for Divyang children, as per the guidelines of NEP 2020. Child development domains specified in the National Curriculum Framework, i.e. cognitive, motor, socio-emotional, creative and aesthetic, will be targeted. By mandating at least 4 hours of high-quality preschool instruction on a daily basis at the center and 30 minutes at home, and ensuring instruction in their mother tongue, the hope for our youngest children is to develop their fullest potential.
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They must find an indelible connection with their culture, and a local community that forms a supportive, uplifting, and positive foundation in their lives. It does take a village to raise a child, and as part of India’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals it is every mother, father, aunt, grandfather and neighbor’s responsibility to ensure the child in their community is given the opportunity to develop into a well-rounded citizen of tomorrow.
Turning this vision into a reality, hinges on the able shoulders of our Anganwadi workers who have been at the forefront of not just India’s fight against malnutrition, reduction of infant and maternal mortality rate but also COVID. PM Modi’s government has heralded a new wave of “Nari Shakti” where women, mothers, and Anganwadi workers are recognised as the nerve center of holistic national development.
Considering the scale and reach of the Anganwadi network, and the growing evidence regarding the importance of early childhood, there is now a strategic shift. Not only is Anganwadi infrastructure being upgraded, but the Ministry, through the National Institute for Public Cooperation and Child Development, is extending training and capacity building support to our frontline workers to expedite their evolution into high-quality pre-school learning providers. To ensure they are able to bring Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi to every child in every village, each and every Anganwadi worker will be taught fun, play-based activities that are appropriate to the development levels of the children. Anganwadi workers will use different teacher learning material including visual aids, audio aids, audio-visual, spatial material and bodily-kinesthetic material. Online certificates will be provided to all participants from the state to the last person at the last mile, in recognition of their efforts.
This year, under the umbrella of Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, the Ministry of Women and Child Development announced the launch of ‘Aadharshila’ & ‘Navchetana‘—modern Early Childhood Care & Education curricula designed for children birth to 6 years. Rocket Learning is honored to have played a pivotal role in shaping India’s education landscape as part of the transformative ‘Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi’ initiative.
As a proud member of the curriculum committee, we’ve provided crucial technical support in planning, drafting, and designing these groundbreaking frameworks. ‘Aadharshila’ & ‘Navchetana’ emphasize play-based learning, socio-emotional skills, and cutting-edge research on brain development. With a focus on inclusivity and 21st-century skills, these curricula are set to empower 80 million children across 1.4 million Anganwadi centers, driving forward the vision of a literate, healthy, and empowered India.
In Hon’ble PM’s words – “India’s youth has the capacity to change not only its own but the fate of the entire world. Wth Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi, Bharat dares to dream of a literate, healthy and empowered tomorrow, today.”