Shillong, Oct 11: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday presented Meghalaya’s best practices on the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Mission to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Departmental Summit on Women and Child Development in New Delhi.
The presentation was made in presence of a select group of 30 people including Chief Minister’s, Union Ministers and senior officials of the Government of India. The 20-minute presentation was made on behalf of the states, on “Reimagining Anganwadi Centres for Better Delivery of Nutrition and Early Education.”
The Meghalaya model was presented for it to be replicated in other States of the country. Highlighting the importance of early childhood, the Chief Minister said: “As a father, I have seen how much my son responds to every moment of time and attention I give him, and how holistically he is growing because of it. Science tells us why: 80 percent of a child’s brain develops in the first 1,000 days, from conception to the second birthday.”
Speaking of the long-term stakes, he said: “The children born today will be the adults of Viksit Bharat in 2047. What we do in these first 1,000 days will shape who they become.”
He said that Meghalaya has launched an integrated Early Childhood Development Mission, bringing all human development departments and community institutions together to help every child reach their full potential. He said that the life cycle approach, “Mission 1000 Days, works to end stunting with support at every stage of early life”.
Informing the Prime Minister about the components of Mission 1000 Days, the Chief Minister said that during pregnancy, the Departments of Health, Women and Child Development and NRLM jointly run mother skill workshops in partnership with IIT Bombay, where mothers learn 45 breastfeeding techniques for healthy weight gain.
The Chief Minister informed that pregnant and nursing mothers and children up to two years, extending to three years, receive hot cooked meals with eggs at the Anganwadi Centre twice a week, with Self-Help Groups helping address growth faltering. This is coupled with monthly fathers’ counselling.
The Chief Minister further informed that Anganwadi Centres are being transformed into happiness centres, with an additional room for a creche to support mothers. A year-long ECD fellowship has also been started for young graduates in the village, who serve as additional apprentices in the AWC and receive NCVET certification, opening pathways for them in the care economy sector.
The Chief Minister also acknowledged good practices elsewhere. West Bengal serves hot cooked meals to 70 lakh children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Gujarat uses a digital application and third-party verification to strengthen malnutrition data.
Telangana tests every batch of Take Home Ration for quality. Odisha is equipping Anganwadi Centres with toys and learning corners, so they become joyful places of play and learning, not only nutrition hubs.
“With a shared national roadmap now in place, states will work together to give every child in India the best start in life. Investing in our youngest citizens is the surest investment in India’s future”, he added.
