Parliament Question: Anganwadi programme for children

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3035 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 ANGANWADI PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN 3035. DR. BHIM SINGH: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the Anganwadi programme is being run for children in the 0-6 age group; (b) whether it is also a fact that under the new Education Policy, the Bal Vatika porgramme is being run for the 3-6 age group; (c) whether it is a fact that a three-month ‘Vidya-Pravesh’ programme is being run before admission to Class 1, and; (d) if all the above programs are being implemented concurrently, the Government’s action plan to resolve the overlapping of programmes? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR) (a) Yes, Sir. (b) National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 recognizes 3 years of pre-school (Balvatika) as a continuum of education in the 5+3+3+4 structure. The initial ‘5’ in restructured model is termed as Foundational Stage that consists of 3 years of pre-school (Balvatika) and 2 years of Grade-I and Grade-II. Both together cover the children of age of 3 to 8 years. It also acknowledges that children in the age group of 3 to 6 years are in Anganwadi Centres (AWCs).(c) A 3-months play based ‘School Preparation Module and Guidelines’ named ‘Vidya Pravesh’ was launched on 29th July, 2021. The objective of Vidya Pravesh programme is to promote school preparedness in all children coming to Grade-I from diverse backgrounds like Balvatika, Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), Home and Private play schools etc. to ensure a smooth transition of children to Grade-I. This programme is being implemented across the country in the first 3 months of Grade 1. (d) The Government is adopting a whole-of-government approach to ensure convergence in the implementation of initiatives related to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Balvatika, Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), Home and Private play schools etc. cater to the pre-school part of early learning for children of 3 to 6 years. Formal schooling starts from Grade-I. In addition, guidelines for co-location of AWCs with Government primary schools were jointly issued on 3rd September 2025 by the Department of School Education and Literacy and the Ministry of Women and Child Development to strengthen institutional linkages and facilitate a smooth transition of children from pre-school to formal schooling. *****