A New Direction for Early Childhood Education through the Initiative “Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi”!
– Kailas Pagare, Commissioner, Department of Women and Child Development

MUMBAI, 25 SEPTEMBER, 2024 (GPN): A state-level conference “Udaan Maharashtra 2024” was
organized on 25th September at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai, focusing on early childhood education in
collaboration with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and Rocket Learning. The event was
inaugurated in the esteemed presence of Union Minister of
State for Women and Child Development, Mrs.Savitri Thakur, and Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Maharashtra, Ms.AditiTatkare.

Also present on the dais were Commissioner of Women and Child Development Department Kailas Pagare, Joint Director of the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) Dr. Rita Patnaik, Deputy Director of SCERT Maharashtra State, Mrs.Madhuri Savarkar, and Co-founder of Rocket Learning, Mr.Siddhant Sachdeva.The event commenced with inaugural speeches by Mrs. Savitri Thakur and Ms. Aditi Tatkare. District program officers, child training initiative was inaugurated
by the dignitaries, and the release of the “Balmathan” and the “Navchetna” curriculum was conducted. In the first session of the program, a panel discussion was led by Rocket Learning’s Apurva Desai on the new direction for pre-primary education under the National Education Policy 2020, and the anticipated changes from the implementation
of the “PoshanBhi, PadhaiBhi” campaign.During the event,
Commissioner Kailas Pagare of the Women and Child
Development Department mentioned that the “School
Readiness” campaign began in 2020 during the COVID lockdown.

Recognizing the importance of mothers’ involvement, their
participation was increased, benefiting children’s holistic
development. Over the next three months, 37,000 Anganwadi workers will be trained through the “Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi” initiative, which will help resolve challenges in early childhood education and give it a new direction.Children who receive pre-primaryeducation tend to have a brighter future. This is the beginning of the
journey to strengthen Anganwadis, and continuous efforts will be made in this regard. We are also receiving great support from Rocket Learning in this mission.

With the “Navchetna” and “Aadharshila” educational systems, training will be providedto 1.4 million Anganwadi workers. Dr. Rita Patnaik explained how a comprehensive program has been designed for the holistic development of children aged 0-6 years.During the event, Sanjana Mankatala, Head of National Programs and Policy atRocket Learning, emphasized that parents’ involvement is crucial in a child’s development. Every parent must understand
the developmental stages of their children. Using technology effectively, Rocket Learning has reached millions of Anganwadi workers and parents.Observations show that focusing properly on the development ofchildren aged 0-6 years significantly improves their IQ levels.