The Union Budget 2025 introduces significant support for working parents and young children through schemes like Mission Shakti, under which the government has committed to establish 17,000 crèches. Chirashree Ghosh, National Coordinator of FORCES, views this as a positive intervention. She notes that this initiative strengthens childcare infrastructure and meets the needs of working parents. FORCES (Forum for Crashes and Child Care Services) focusses on intersecting rights of women, children and labour, and raises awareness about their issues in the informal sector, and also advocates for better policies and their implementation.
Moreover, increased allocations under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 reflect the government’s priority for child care and nutrition. The government is also working on reimagining the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in a mission mode, which is welcome. At the same time, Ghosh emphasises the need for careful monitoring of how such initiatives translate into action at the grassroots level.
State-Led Funding
Ghosh points out that while allocations for programmes related to the young children and working parents have increased, effective implementation depends largely on state-level engagement, as these are centrally sponsored schemes with a typical 60:40 funding split. She highlights examples from Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Puducherry, where states have gone beyond the mandated ratio by contributing additional resources, leading to more impactful outcomes.
Maternity Law Gaps
Ghosh considers the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act of 2017 a progressive step, particularly for the organised sector, as it extends paid leave from three to six months. However, she notes that the law’s crèche provision is often neglected and rarely implemented, even in formal workspaces. Ghosh stresses the need for collaborative efforts to make workplace childcare a reality.
In the informal sector, she observes that while the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana provides a helpful cash transfer of Rs 5,000, issues like lack of identity proof continue to exclude migrant and informal workers from accessing it.
Community Childcare Models
Ghosh discusses the importance of home and community-based models such as the Home-Based Care for Newborns (HBCN), led by ASHA workers, and the Mother Absolute Affection (MAA) programme that encourages breastfeeding. These, along with the revamped Saksham Anganwadi, contribute significantly to early childhood care.
She also highlights that although nine labour laws, including the Factories Act, 1948 and the Plantations Labour Act, 1951, require employer-supported childcare, there is a lack of data on operational crèches in workplaces, indicating inconsistent implementation.
Crèche Data Needs
To improve provisioning, Ghosh recommends integrating crèche-related questions into national surveys. Given that the last census was in 2011, upcoming surveys can include data on the number, need, and usage of workplace crèches to inform better policy and budgeting.
Anganwadi Enrolment
Enrolment at Anganwadi centres remains low. Ghosh argues for a multi-pronged approach, where Anganwadi workers are relieved of peripheral duties to focus on their core responsibilities. She advocates for stronger community engagement, with Panchayats and ward councillors driving enrolment initiatives.
Regarding staffing, Ghosh flags a significant shortage, noting that 39% of Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) posts and 12% of Anganwadi posts remain unfilled. She commends recent recruitment drives, such as those in Delhi, but emphasises the urgency of accelerating these efforts.
Early Learning Reforms
The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is welcome for its expanded scope, covering children from ages 3 to 8, and introducing the 5+3+4 model. Ghosh sees value in the foundational learning approach and the proposal to integrate Anganwadi centres into schools where feasible. However, she notes that space constraints in urban Anganwadis limit effective implementation.
She also highlights the introduction of training modules like Navchetna and Aadhaarahila, which, if properly executed, can significantly improve early childhood education outcomes.
SDG Shortfalls
India, Ghosh observes, is currently lagging on child-related SDGs, especially in health and nutrition. She stresses that increased budget allocations are necessary but not sufficient. For meaningful change, there must be inter-sectoral convergence across health, housing, and child development ministries, with civil society and private players also contributing collaboratively.
Emerging Challenges
Ghosh underlines that challenges such as climate change and cybersecurity must be included in child welfare policy. Given children’s dependency and vulnerability, these issues—like the frequent climate events —must be addressed through resilient and integrated policy design.
Delhi Budget Gains
Ghosh expresses optimism about the Delhi Budget 2025, acknowledging that several demands by FORCES and grassroots communities have been addressed. Notably, maternity benefits have risen from Rs 5,000 to Rs 21,000, and 500 palnas (crib centres) have been provisioned with an added Rs 50 crore budget. Additionally, the new canteen scheme and Rs 2,500 cash transfers to BPL women show a strong welfare orientation. However, she cautions that success hinges on effective implementation and coordinated effort among stakeholders.
Ideal Ecosystem Vision
Looking ahead, Ghosh articulates a powerful vision: Early Childhood Development (ECD) must be declared a fundamental right. Only then, she asserts, will programmes and budgets be implemented consistently. Additional allocations, inter-sectoral coordination, and collective responsibility are essential to ensure that every child has a strong foundation and becomes a part of India’s thriving human capital.
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