Ministry of women and child development to launch Anganwadi Protocol for children with special needs

NEW DELHI: The union ministry of women and child development will launch the Anganwadi Protocol for Divyang Children at a national-level event at Vigyan Bhawan tomorrow. The scheme is an initiative under the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi programme of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.

The event will be chaired by minister for women and child development (MWCD) Smriti Zubin Irani. She will deliver the keynote speech while minister of state MWCD Munjpara Mahendrabhai will also address the gathering.

The ministry wants to highlight that the overall improvement in children’s well-being is possible through early intervention, specialised support and services for infants and young children at risk or with disability. The scheme will also sensitise parents and communities to identify and support divyang children.

National Policy for Divyangjan recommendation

According to the Draft National Policy For Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) (2021), one-third of most disabilities in India are estimated to be preventable, if they are detected early enough and adequately addressed. Through Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi’s targeted focus on strengthening the foundation for India’s future generations, 13.9 Lakh Anganwadi centers will be up-skilled to adopt a multi-sensory and toy-based approach to address the different needs of children.

The ministry said it reaches out to over eight crore children from birth to six years on a daily basis through the Anganwadi ecosystem. The event will host a panel discussion that will highlight strategies for early identification, screening and inclusion at the anganwadi centre. Senior officers from MoHFW, DEPwD, and State WCD Secretaries and experts from key organisations such as NIMHANS are expected to attend. CDPOs, Lady Supervisors, Anganwadi Workers and ASHA workers from across the country will also participate in the event.

No separate schools

“As per the National Education Policy 2020, integration of Divyang students into mainstream schools should be prioritised, rather than establish segregated educational institutions. The National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 2022 further recommends approaches to addressing developmental delays and disability in schools, including advice on signs and symptoms,” the ministry said.

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To meet objectives of NEP 2020, the government under the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi programme has adopted the national ECCE Taskforce recommendation for play-based and activity-based learning pedagogy and strongly advocates special and timely support for divyang children.