New Delhi:5th Sept 2025: In a joint initiative, the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education released new guidelines on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, for the co-location of Anganwadi Centres within school premises. The event was attended by Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, and Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Senior officials from both ministries, along with representatives from states, union territories, and Anganwadi workers, also participated in the event.
The idea is: “One Campus, One Vision” – from Anganwadi to school education under a unified setup. This is an important step toward realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a strong foundation of human capital in a developed India.
The newly released guidelines emphasize the importance of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) through an integrated model of Anganwadi Centres and schools. Currently, 2.9 lakh Anganwadi centres are already functioning within various school campuses across the country. These guidelines aim to bring administrative clarity and enable states and union territories to scale up this model effectively.
Key Highlights:
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Annapurna Devi stated that the proximity of Anganwadi Centres to schools strengthens the foundation of a child’s learning journey. This setup ensures a smooth transition from early childhood care to formal schooling and supports the overall development of children.
She further added that these guidelines would act as a roadmap for states and union territories, helping them expand the integrated model and thereby contribute to the vision of creating a healthy, educated, and empowered youth for a developed India.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in his address, emphasized that early childhood education is the foundation of lifelong learning. By integrating Anganwadis with schools, we are creating a seamless and effective learning environment from the very beginning. This initiative will not only strengthen basic literacy and numeracy, but also play a crucial role in nurturing India’s human capital and achieving the goal of a developed nation.