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Context:

India’s vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat and a $30 trillion economy by 2047 hinges not merely on infrastructure, capital investment, or technology, but fundamentally on human capital formation. Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), especially the first 3,000 days of life is the most under-invested yet highest-return strategy for long-term national development.

Importance of first 3,000 days of life childhood care and development:

• Foundation of brain development: The early years witness the fastest brain growth, with nearly 80–85% of brain development occurring before the age of five. Neural connections formed during this period shape intelligence, memory, emotional regulation and learning ability. Any deprivation at this stage can have long-term and often irreversible effects.

• Critical for physical health and nutrition: Adequate nutrition, healthcare and nurturing in early childhood prevent stunting, wasting, obesity and future non-communicable diseases. Scientific evidence, including epigenetic studies, shows that pre-conception and prenatal health significantly influence lifelong health outcomes.

• Cognitive and learning outcomes: Early stimulation through play, language exposure, reading and responsive caregiving improves school readiness, comprehension and problem-solving skills. Children who receive quality early care perform better academically and adapt more effectively to formal education.

• Emotional and social development: Secure attachment, emotional nurturing and social interaction in early years foster self-control, empathy, resilience and social skills. These qualities are essential for mental well-being, healthy relationships and responsible citizenship in later life.

• High economic returns: Investment in early childhood yields the highest return on public spending by reducing future costs on healthcare, remedial education and welfare. A well-developed child grows into a productive adult, strengthening the workforce and national economy.

• Promotes equity and social mobility: Early childhood interventions reduce disadvantages arising from poverty, gender and regional inequalities. Universal focus on early years helps break intergenerational cycles of deprivation and supports inclusive growth.

• Essential for national development: Strong early foundations are crucial for harnessing India’s demographic dividend. Investing in the first 3,000 days is a strategic nation-building investment, vital for achieving the goals of Viksit Bharat and sustainable development.

India’s progress so far in early childhood care and development:

• Expansion of child survival and maternal health interventions: Over the past five decades, India has made significant progress in improving child survival and maternal health outcomes through sustained public health interventions. Programmes such as the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Initiative (1992) and the Reproductive and Child Health Programme (1997) strengthened antenatal care, institutional deliveries, immunisation coverage and management of childhood illnesses, contributing to a sharp decline in infant mortality rate (IMR) and under-five mortality rate (U5MR).

• Consolidation under the National Health Mission: The integration of earlier programmes under the National Health Mission (NHM) marked an important milestone by adopting a lifecycle approach to maternal and child health. The NHM improved last-mile service delivery, expanded outreach through ASHA workers and strengthened primary healthcare systems, leading to better newborn care, universal immunisation efforts and improved access to essential health services, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

• Institutionalisation of nutrition and early care through ICDS: The launch of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in 1975 provided a foundational framework for addressing child nutrition, health and early care, especially among vulnerable populations. Through Anganwadi centres, ICDS combined supplementary nutrition, growth monitoring, immunisation support and preschool education, creating one of the world’s largest early childhood programmes.

• Reforms under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0: In recent years, ICDS has been restructured as Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, with a greater emphasis on nutrition outcomes, convergence, use of technology and behavioural change communication. These reforms aim to improve service quality, reduce malnutrition and enhance monitoring of child growth and maternal nutrition.

• Role of state-level innovations: Several State governments have complemented national efforts through innovative delivery models, community-based interventions and nutrition-focused missions. State-specific programmes targeting anaemia reduction, early childhood nutrition and maternal health have helped contextualise ECCD interventions and improve outcomes in diverse socio-economic settings.

• Shift from high mortality to survival gains: As a result of sustained policy focus, India has transitioned from a phase of high child and maternal mortality to one where survival is increasingly assured for most children. Improvements in immunisation coverage, neonatal care and disease control have ensured that more children now survive early childhood than ever before.

• Persisting developmental gaps: Despite these achievements, India’s progress has largely been centred on survival rather than holistic development. Interventions remain fragmented and primarily targeted at economically vulnerable groups, with limited focus on cognitive, emotional and social development, highlighting the need to evolve from survival-oriented programmes to a comprehensive early childhood development framework.

Emerging challenges in early childhood care and development in India:

• Shift from survival to developmental deficits: As India has achieved substantial gains in child survival, new challenges have emerged in ensuring holistic development. While more children are surviving infancy, many are not achieving their full cognitive, emotional and physical potential due to inadequate focus on early stimulation, mental well-being and nurturing care.

• Rising burden of malnutrition in multiple forms: India continues to face a dual burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition such as stunting and wasting coexists with rising childhood obesity. Poor dietary diversity, unhealthy food habits and lack of physical activity during early years increase the risk of non-communicable diseases later in life.

• Developmental challenges beyond poverty: Early childhood developmental issues are no longer confined to economically weaker sections. Children from middle- and higher-income households increasingly face problems such as delayed social skills, emotional difficulties, behavioural disorders and reduced physical activity, highlighting the limitation of poverty-targeted interventions.

• Excessive screen exposure and digital influence: Growing exposure to screens at a very young age has adversely affected language development, attention span, sleep patterns and social interaction. In the absence of structured guidance, many parents rely on digitally driven and commercially motivated content, which often lacks scientific grounding.

• Limited parental awareness and support: Parents remain the primary caregivers during the most critical early years, yet there is limited access to credible, structured parental education on early stimulation, responsive caregiving and developmental milestones. This knowledge gap reduces the effectiveness of early interventions within homes.

• Fragmented and siloed service delivery: Early childhood services in India are spread across multiple ministries and departments, leading to fragmentation and weak coordination. Health, nutrition, education and child protection programmes often operate in silos, reducing their cumulative impact on child development.

• Late start of formal developmental interventions: Most formal ECCD interventions begin only around two-and-a-half to three years of age, through Anganwadis or preschools. This results in a missed opportunity during the first 1,000 days, when brain development is most rapid and interventions are most cost-effective.

Way Forward for strengthening early childhood care and development in India:

• Adopting a holistic and integrated ECCD framework: India must move beyond fragmented and scheme-based approaches to adopt a comprehensive Early Childhood Care and Development framework that integrates health, nutrition, early learning, emotional well-being and caregiving from pre-conception to eight years of age. A lifecycle-based approach will ensure continuity of care during the most critical developmental years.

• Prioritising pre-conception and maternal health: Early interventions should begin even before pregnancy through pre-marital and pre-conception counselling, focusing on nutrition, mental health, lifestyle choices and substance use. Improving maternal health during this phase yields intergenerational benefits and significantly reduces the risk of developmental delays and chronic diseases in children.

• Empowering parents as primary caregivers: Parents should be systematically educated and supported with scientifically credible guidance on early stimulation, responsive caregiving, play, reading, emotional nurturing and screen management. Nationwide parental education programmes can transform homes into the first centres of learning and development.

• Strengthening the first 1,000 days interventions: Special emphasis must be placed on the first 1,000 days of life, with expanded outreach for early stimulation, growth monitoring and timely identification of developmental delays. Community health workers can be trained to deliver low-cost, high-impact interventions at the household level.

• Improving quality of care for children aged 2–5 years: India must invest in high-quality early learning and care systems for children between two and five years, focusing on nutrition, physical activity, emotional regulation and foundational literacy. Upgrading Anganwadi centres and regulating private preschools are essential for ensuring uniform standards.

• Universalising ECCD beyond targeted welfare: Early childhood development should be treated as a universal public good, not merely a poverty alleviation programme. Policies must address developmental challenges across all socio-economic groups to ensure equitable and inclusive outcomes.

• Building a citizen-led movement: A sustained citizen-led movement involving parents, teachers, communities, civil society organisations, philanthropic institutions and the private sector is essential to embed ECCD into everyday social practice. Public awareness campaigns can make early childhood development a national priority.

Conclusion:

Early childhood care and development is the most decisive investment a nation can make for its future. Global evidence and India’s own experience show that the foundations of health, learning and productivity are laid in the first 3,000 days of life. Without strengthening these early foundations through integrated, universal and sustained interventions, India’s aspirations of inclusive growth and Viksit Bharat will remain fragile. Investing early is not welfare it is nation-building.

Source: The Hindu