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GS paper 2

Syllabus: Issues related to the development of the social sector

Source: The Hindu

Directions: This is an editorial article. Government Programmes such as ICDS, and Swachh Bharat are important. Always have a few points ready for them.

 Context: Anganwadi system, part of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) serves over 30 million children in the age group of 3-6 in 1.3 million centres across the country.

 Issue of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS):

• • On Attendance:

• • • • The ICDS scheme is designed to support all children under six with their health, nutrition, and education needs.
        • • Over 70% of children are enrolled in Anganwadis in India but ICDS is plagued by low attendance.

• • Role of parents:

• • • • Not willing to speak parents’ language: In ICDS reports, parents are routinely addressed as “beneficiaries” — passive recipients of ration, immunization camps, and lately, education.
      • Focus on English language and math skills: Most of parents feel their kids’ best pathway for social mobility through education is via learning English (speaking and writing) and math skills.

Solutions: 

• • • ECCE curricula: It focuses on local language-driven, play-based pedagogy, and activity-based learning, facilitated by a skilled educator.
    • Exploring and manipulating their physical environments to develop early language, early numeracy, socio-emotional, executive function, and motor skills.
    • Focus on developing cognitive, literacy and numeracy skills in children
    • Regular parents-teacher meetings: E.g. Shiksha Choupals (parent-teacher meetings)
    • Engagement with parents: Regular messages can be shared with the parents to equip them on the nature of engagement expected from their kids.

Conclusion:

• • • Parents as stakeholders: A mass campaign for awareness of age-appropriate ECCE that brings parents in as stakeholders, is crucial in the next five years — our youngest children, and their developing brains, deserve no less.
    • ‘abhibhavak-bhagidari’ (participation of parents): In the ECCE ecosystem, we need to embrace the power of ‘abhibhavak-bhagidari’ (participation of parents) to activate Anganwadi 2.0.

Insta Links:

Integrated Child Development Scheme

Mains Links:

Q. The concept of Mid Day Meal (MDM) scheme is almost a century old in India with early beginnings in the Madras Presidency in pre-independent India. The scheme has again been given impetus in most states in the last two decades. Critically examine its twin objectives, latest mandates and success.(UPSC 2013)

Prelims links: