Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi Scheme

• It was launched recently by Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
  • MoWCD had set up a 22-member high level task force on ECCE chaired by former IAS officer Sanjay Kaul.
• The scheme will focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)e. first six years of child’s life at anganwadis across the country.

Important highlights:

• The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) has been roped in for the training of Anganwadi workers
• It targets children’s development in every domain mentioned in the National Curriculum Framework, like physical and motor development, cognitive development
• It will focus on promoting holistic and quality early stimulation and pre-primary education for children.
• Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
  • It refers to providing care including health and nutrition as well as early learning opportunities to all young children.
  • EECE is a crucial component of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) and it was foreseen under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.

Other info

• Anganwadi centers in India are established under Integrated Child Development scheme (1975).
• Almost 39 million operational Anganwadi centers across the country are providing supplementary nutrition and early care and education to more than 8 crore children under the age of 6 years.