Bhubaneswar: Odisha has underscored the need for stronger coordination among government departments to improve early childhood care, nutrition, healthcare and foundational learning, as the two-day National ECCE and Education Conclave concluded here on Thursday.
The conclave, organised by the Women and Child Development Department in collaboration with Rocket Learning at LYFE Hotel, brought together senior officials from key departments to develop a coordinated approach towards the holistic development of children in the 0–6 age group.
The second-day deliberations focused on aligning departmental priorities, strengthening institutional partnerships and establishing an integrated framework to ensure that children receive adequate nutrition, healthcare, responsive caregiving and early learning opportunities during their formative years.
Addressing the gathering, Women and Child Development Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Mrinalini Darswal stressed the importance of collective efforts and interdepartmental collaboration in advancing Odisha’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) agenda.
A high-level roundtable discussion involving senior officials from different departments was a key feature of the conclave. It provided a platform to explore possibilities for convergence of existing programmes, institutional coordination and joint initiatives to strengthen early childhood development across the state.
Those participating in the discussions included School and Mass Education Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary N. Thirumala Naik, ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary B. Parameswaran, Higher Education Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aravind Agrawal, SCERT Director Madhusmita Sahoo and ICDS and Social Welfare Director Monisha Banerjee.
The deliberations highlighted the need to leverage existing institutional mechanisms, align departmental interventions and ensure shared responsibility for creating a comprehensive support system for children during their foundational years.
The concluding session focused on identifying strategic priorities and actionable measures emerging from the two-day discussions, with emphasis on sustained collaboration and coordinated implementation.
The conclave also highlighted that holistic childhood development requires a continuum of care encompassing health and nutrition, responsive caregiving, early stimulation, play-based learning, capacity-building of Anganwadi workers and greater parental involvement.
The event reaffirmed the state’s commitment to placing early childhood development at the centre of its development priorities, with government departments and development partners expected to work together towards strengthening the ECCE ecosystem.
