Transforming the Anganwadi ecosystem Next generation early childhood development interventions in India March 2019 KPMG.com/in Narayanan Ramaswamy Partner & Leader Infrastructure Government Healthcare - Social KPMG in India Table of contents 1. Overview of early childhood development in India 1 1.1 Early childhood landscape in India 1 1.2 Regulatory framework around ECD in India 3 2. Anganwadis: Delivering ECD in India 5 2.1 ICDS – Government’s flagship programme for ECD 5 2.2 Service delivery model of Anganwadis 6 2.3 Challenges involved in ICDS 6 3. Next generation early childhood development interventions in India 7 3.1 New government interventions for transforming the existing landscape 7 3.2 Evolving synergies between the government and private sector: A game changer for ECD in India 8 4. Way forward for smart Anganwadis: Transforming the future of India 12 © 2019 KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Foreword Early Childhood Development is interventions in early childhood A transformed model of ICDS delivery perhaps the most important facet of development, and the same is system is absolutely critical to the social development for a country, more reflected in its flagship programme, the timely achievement of the Sustainable so for India, which as of 2011, was home Integrated Child Development Services Development Goals (SDG) 2, 3 and 4 to more than 159 million children in the (ICDS), ICDS is delivered through directly, and other SDGs indirectly as age group zero to six. approximately 1.3 million Anganwadi well. workers and 1.2 million Anganwadi Various studies have shown that early helpers to more than 80 million children childhood development has a long- term under six years of age. impact on a person’s income ability, health and emotional well-being. It is Today, the imperative is to reimagine therefore, imperative that the quality how Anganwadi services are delivered, and type of interventions are significant and in this publication, we take a look at determinants of overall development of some pioneering interventions which a child and shaping their overall growth. demonstrate the potential of technology and innovation in transforming early Government of India rolled-out the childhood development. While some of National Policy on Education in 1968, the showcased interventions are driven Nilachal Mishra which, along with the National Policy by the government, a few examples Partner, on Children 2013, has repeatedly also illustrate the large role the private Government Advisory emphasised on the need for holistic sector can play in the space. KPMG in India © 2019 KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. 1 Overview of early childhood 1. development in India 1.1 Early childhood landscape in India The first six years of development in solving ability, learning capacity, years, constituting 13.12 per cent of the a child’s life are critical to their overall etc. thereby limiting their long-term total population4, it becomes imperative development and well-being. According development. to ensure holistic development of these to a report, globally 7.6 million children children for them to achieve their full Evidence suggests that early childhood under the age of five years die each potential. India is also committed to development has an impact on a year and while more than 200 million achieving the Sustainable Development person’s income, health, and emotional children survive, they do not reach Goals (SDGs), which encompass well-being, thereby enabling them their full potential due to various socio- various targets on child well-being to achieve their full potential. The economic factors including families’ including quality of early childhood quality and type of interventions are income levels, ethnicity, disability, development, care and pre-primary determinants of the way a child’s brain religion or sexual orientation, etc1. education, elimination of all forms of develops and shapes their cognitive, malnutrition, and ending preventable Early childhood development (ECD) social and emotional growth. It deaths of newborns and children under encompasses an interlinked gamut of enables successful transition to school, five years of age, amongst others. elements critical for a child’s cognitive, which thereby helps in achieving social and emotional development. better learning outcomes, education, The government has adopted a rights These comprise learning, health, employment and health2. A recent based approach for addressing nutrition, play and care, in an enabling study from Andhra Pradesh suggested challenges in the area of child and protective environment. The that early life nutrition has positive development. While the country has absence of these interventions can effects on schooling and labour market witnessed significant reduction in have adverse effects on the child’s outcomes3. U5MR and stunting, the statistics intelligence levels, personality, mentioned are below the global average. India is home to approximately 159 behavioral aspects such as problem million children in the age group of 0-6 1. UNICEF, accessed March 2019 2. Australian Early Development Census, accessed March 2019 3. Early-Life Nutrition Is Associated Positively with Schooling and Labor Market Outcomes and Negatively with Marriage Rates at Age 20–25 Years: Evidence from the Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study (APCAPS) in India, Arindam Nandi, Jere R Behrman, Sanjay Kinra, Ramanan Laxminarayan, January 2018, accessed March 2019 4. Census of India, 2011, accessed March 2019 © 2019 KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Transforming the Anganwadi ecosystem 2 Table 1: Comparison of key statistics on Childhood Development5 Statistics World (2017) India Under Five Mortality Rate 39.1(per thousand) 39 (per thousand) Stunted 22.2% 38% Wasted 7.5% 21% 5. The World Bank, Global prevalence of wasting, weight for height, (% of children under 5); Global prevalence of stunting (height for age), accessed March 2019 © 2019 KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. 3 1.2 Regulatory framework direct states to provide preschool As part of the ECCE policy, a National around ECD in India education for children above three years Early Childhood Care and Education of age. Curriculum Framework has been The Constitution of India guarantees developed to promote excellence fundamental rights of all children in The new National Policy for Children in early childhood education. The the country and empowers the state 20138 was adopted to ’reiterate the framework provides guidelines on to make special provisions for all commitment to rights based approach childcare and early learning practices children. Article 45 (amended) of the for children’ and directs states to take and approaches to ensure optimal Indian Constitution directs that ’The appropriate measures to ensure Early learning and development of children. State shall endeavour to provide Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) It also sets out standards to ensure Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to all children below six years of age, to adherence to quality and standardisation for all children until they complete ensure holistic development. The policy in the provision of ECCE services across the age of six years’6. The country also emphasised on maternal health states. developed its first National Policy on including antenatal care, safe delivery, Education in 19687 , a reflection of postnatal care and nutrition support. In 2016, the National Plan of Action India’s commitment to its children as for Children was launched as a road In 2013, the government also adopted the nation’s ’supremely important asset’. map for realising policy objectives the National Early Childhood Care India also ratified various international focused on improving the well-being and Education Policy to ’promote conventions and treaties including of children. The plan aims to synergise inclusive, equitable and contextualised the Declaration of the Rights of the efforts of various stakeholders working opportunities for promoting optimal Child, Universal Declaration of Human to advance the rights of children, and development and active learning Rights and its Covenants, Convention also strengthen the implementation and capacity for all children below six years on the Rights of the Child and its town monitoring of national and international of age’9. The policy was framed taking Optional Protocols, etc. to reinforce its commitments surrounding child into consideration the interlinkage of commitment for advancing and securing development. education, health, nutrition, cognitive, the rights of children. and emotional needs of a child and The Right of Children to Free and acknowledging the importance of a Compulsory Education (RTE) Act child’s early years in building a solid 2010 was introduced to ensure that foundation for the overall development children