THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, NOVEMBER 11, 2026
Odisha on Wednesday hosted a two-day National Early Childhood Care and
Education (ECCE) Conclave, bringing together policymakers, health and education
experts, senior government officials and development partners to chalk out
strategies for ensuring the holistic development of children during their
formative years.
Organised by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of
Odisha, in collaboration with Rocket Learning, the conclave, being held on
November 11 and 12 at LYFE Hotels here, seeks to strengthen early childhood
care and education through an integrated approach encompassing nutrition,
healthcare, early stimulation and play-based learning for children aged 0–6
years.
The inaugural session was attended by senior government officials,
policymakers, experts and representatives of development organisations.
Monisha Banerjee, Director, Women and Child Development Department,
delivered the welcome address, while Dr. Mrinalini Darswal,
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, W&CD Department, outlined Odisha's journey
towards strengthening the early childhood care and education ecosystem.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, paediatrician and
former Deputy Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), underscored the
crucial role of the first six years in shaping a child's lifelong health,
learning abilities and overall development.
Dr. V.K. Paul, former Member of NITI Aayog, emphasised the need to
strengthen ECCE through an empowered Anganwadi workforce and a holistic
approach to early childhood development.
Speaking about 'Asa Kheliba Asa Sikhiba' (Come, Let's Play, Let's Learn),
Dr. Mrinalini Darswal, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, W&CD Department,
highlighted the role of technology, empowered educators and active parental
engagement in strengthening early learning systems. He reiterated the
importance of collaborative efforts with the Government to deliver quality
early childhood development at scale.
The department also unveiled three key initiatives during the conclave,
including digital Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for
children aged 0–6 years to promote early childhood care, learning and parental
engagement; a video highlighting the importance of the early years and
responsive parenting under ECCE; and Supalana, Rocket Learning's Birth-to-3
programme, aimed at strengthening early childhood development.
Swayamprava Mohanty, Additional Secretary, ECCE, W&CD Department,
proposed the vote of thanks at the inaugural session.
The first day also featured three expert panel discussions focusing on
different stages and dimensions of early childhood development.
The first discussion, titled 'The First Three Years: Nurturing Health,
Nutrition & Early Stimulation (0–3 Years)', examined essential care,
nutrition, early stimulation and Odisha's community-based ECCE model.
The panel comprised Dr. Ramya Pinnamaneni, Public Health Consultant; Dattatraya
Bhausaheb Shinde, Collector and District Magistrate, Cuttack; and Dr. Satyajit
Naik, Inspector General of Police, Central Range, Odisha. The session was
moderated by Sukhna Sawhney, Education and Content Lead, Rocket Learning.
The second session, 'Building School Readiness: Play-Based Learning &
Model Anganwadi Centre Delivery (3–6 Years)', focused on the national roadmap
for pre-school education and the need to transform Anganwadi Centres into
quality early learning spaces.
The panel featured Dr. Rita Pattnaik, Additional Director, SPNIWCD; Chandrika
Nayak, Deputy Director, SCERT; Dr. Beena Koshy, Professor, CMC Vellore; and Radhika
Jha of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, who joined virtually. Monisha
Banerjee, Director, ICDS and SW, moderated the discussion.
The third discussion, 'Partnerships for Early Childhood Development',
explored interdepartmental convergence, public-private partnerships and CSR-led
interventions, drawing insights from Meghalaya's Early Childhood Development
Mission.
The panellists included Ronald Kynta, COO, Meghalaya ECD Mission; Nirupa
Behera, Deputy Director, Pedagogy, OSEPA; and Itishree Das, Special Secretary
to Government, W&CD Department, Odisha. Radhika Mathur, State Initiative
and Policy Lead, moderated the session.
The first day of the conclave reaffirmed the need for an integrated early childhood development framework anchored in quality nutrition, healthcare, early learning, an empowered Anganwadi workforce, active parental participation and effective coordination among government departments.
The two-day national-level deliberations are expected to provide further impetus to strengthening ECCE delivery systems and ensuring a strong foundation for every child's growth, learning and development.
