Author(s): More Srividya and Chandrashekar Gawali

Abstract:
Anganwadi’s, as the core element of India’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, play a crucial role in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), nutrition, and maternal health. Despite their significance, challenges such as inadequate funding, lack of trained personnel, and limited infrastructure hinder their full potential. This paper explores the current role of Anganwadi’s in delivering ECCE, focusing on their functions, impact, and reach across different regions. Best practices from states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat illustrate successful models of community engagement and training programs. However, systemic gaps persist, including the lack of resources and undertrained Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), affecting service delivery quality. The alignment of Anganwadi services with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is also analyzed. While NEP 2020 emphasizes the need for integrated, high-quality ECCE, Anganwadi’s are still in the process of fully implementing its guidelines. Key policy recommendations include enhancing capacity-building initiatives for AWWs, improving infrastructure, and fostering better community involvement. Furthermore, this paper highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration among government agencies, NGOs, and local communities to strengthen Anganwadi services and realize NEP 2020’s vision. Effective policy integration and the development of a conducive ecosystem will not only improve ECCE outcomes but also contribute to broader developmental goals like reducing malnutrition and promoting gender equity.