Lighthouses of Learning

Over 3.5 lakh children aged six months to six years have benefitted from this intervention in the district over the last two and a half years

- ANIL SWARUP

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) department and anganwadi workers have a critical role to play in the nation's development. Beyond just being a centre for gathering children, an anganwadi centre is a place where large-scale issues like malnourishment and preschool education are addressed. As the country heads towards reaping the fruits of the demographic dividend, investment in children's future becomes even more critical. A number of researches have revealed that the initial six years of a child's life are crucial for both mental and physical development. This has also been recognised in the National Education Policy.

With the spirit of transforming anganwadis into advanced learning centres, an attempt is being made in Varanasi to equip them with both basic necessities and advanced learning infrastructure, such as smart TVs, Business and Learning Aid (BaLa) structural design, rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, solar panels, furniture for children, toys, learning materials, etc. Mission Parivartan has been launched in Varanasi with this objective. This approach is not limited to a few centres; the attempt is to provide scalable and district-wide solutions to the problem, to be implemented across all 3,000 anganwadi centres in Varanasi.

The Mission Parivartan initiative has achieved a remarkable milestone in transforming anganwadi centres across the district over the last three years. As part of the initiative, a total of 2,382 anganwadi buildings have been rejuvenated, with an impressive 96 per cent saturation. Additionally, 692 new anganwadi centres have been constructed, bringing the total to 3,074. This transformation aims to provide a conducive learning environment for young children, promoting their overall development and well-being. Over 3.5 lakh children aged six months to six years have benefitted from this intervention in the district over the last two and a half years.