Dharmendra Pradhan & Annapurna Devi Launch Guidelines for Co-location of Anganwadi Centres with Schools in New Delhi.

On September 3, 2025, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE), and Union Minister Annapurna Devi, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), recently launched the Guidelines for Co-location of Anganwadi Centres with Schools at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The framework was prepared by the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L), MoE, in collaboration with MoWCD, aiming to strengthen early childhood care and foundational education.

      - The primary goal of the newly launched guidelines is to ensure school readiness among children by providing a seamless transition from Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) to Grade 1 in primary schools. The guidelines emphasize creating stimulating and joyful learning environments that support both educational preparedness and holistic development in children aged 3–6 years.

      - The guidelines were jointly developed by the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L) under MoE and the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD). This collaboration bridges education and child development efforts, ensuring that the co-location policy is comprehensive, inclusive, and aligned with national education and child welfare goals.

      - Two distinct models have been proposed for the co-location of AWCs with schools. The first model, Physical Co-location, involves integrating AWCs directly within school premises where infrastructure permits. The second model, Mapping to Nearby Schools, allows AWCs in areas lacking adequate facilities to be linked to the nearest available school for effective transition.

Main Point :-   (i) The guidelines integrate existing flagship initiatives from both ministries. The NIPUN Bharat Mission (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) of MoE is combined with Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, an initiative of MoWCD. This integration ensures that children benefit from both foundational literacy and numeracy skills along with improved nutrition and early learning opportunities.

      (ii) By promoting early linkage between AWCs and schools, the guidelines enhance school preparedness, reduce dropouts at the primary level, and foster inclusive growth. Co-location will also enable better coordination between Anganwadi workers and school teachers, thereby ensuring continuity in pedagogy, improved monitoring, and efficient utilization of resources.

(iii) The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes early childhood care and foundational literacy as critical components of learning outcomes. With this launch, the government seeks to build strong foundations for future learning while simultaneously addressing nutritional, health, and developmental needs of children through a holistic framework.
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