Why the first 1,000 days matter: Maharashtra CM’s Principal Secretary stresses early childhood development

Maharashtra needs a coordinated multidepartmental approach to early childhood development with a particular focus on the first 1000 days of a childrsquos life Chief Ministerrsquos Principal Secretary Dr Shrikar Pardeshi said at a workshop organised at Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration YASHADA in Pune on TuesdayThe workshop on lsquoEarly Childhood Developmentrsquo was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar Agarwal The programme focused on preparing an action plan for the holistic development of children and improving the implementation of existing government schemesAddressing the workshop Dr Pardeshi said early childhood development should not be viewed as the responsibility of a single government department Instead departments dealing with health women and child development education tribal development urban development water and sanitation among others need to work together to achieve better outcomes for childrenDr Pardeshi stressed that the first 1000 daysmdashfrom conception to the childrsquos first two yearsmdashare critical for brain development and overall growth Interventions by the government society and parents during this period can have a lasting impact on a childrsquos health learning ability and future developmentldquoOnce a child moves beyond a particular developmental stage the opportunities to achieve certain milestones are not available in the same manner Therefore timely intervention during the early years is essentialrdquo Dr Pardeshi saidMaharashtra has made progress in reducing stuntingReferring to data from the National Family Health Survey Dr Pardeshi said Maharashtra has made significant progress in reducing the prevalence of stunting among children The proportion which was around 46 per cent during the third round of the survey has declined considerably and stands at around 295 per cent in the latest surveyHe said Maharashtra is regarded as an economic engine of the country but the state must also accelerate its progress on social development indicatorsldquoImproving ageappropriate height and growth among children requires more effective and sustained effortsrdquo he saidEarly development linked to education and future productivityDr Pardeshi highlighted that early childhood development goes far beyond health and nutrition It is closely linked to preprimary education school performance future productivity and human capital developmentAdequate nutrition contributes to better health which in turn can improve school attendance and learning capacity Better educational outcomes can eventually enhance productivity and contribute to a better quality of lifeHe said investments and interventions during early childhood should therefore be viewed as investments in the creation of a healthier better educated and more productive societyFocus on multiple Sustainable Development GoalsThe principal secretary also underlined the connection between early childhood development and several Sustainable Development Goals SDGs including ending hunger ensuring good health quality education gender equality poverty reduction decent work and economic growthHe referred to a meeting of the SDG Action Cell chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on July 23 where detailed discussions were held on areas in which Maharashtra needs to improve its performanceEarly childhood development he said is a crosscutting issue capable of influencing several SDG indicators simultaneouslyFocus on improving existing schemesDr Pardeshi said the objective of the workshop was not merely to introduce new schemes or initiatives but to identify gaps in existing programmes and improve their implementationThe focus would be on identifying shortcomings in existing schemes expanding successful initiatives on a larger scale and finding practical solutions to improve delivery at the grassroots levelldquoEffective convergence among departments is essential We need to identify what is already working address the gaps and scale up successful practicesrdquo he saidPardeshi also stressed the importance of monitoring outcomes rather than merely measuring whether a scheme has been implemented The actual impact of government interventions on childrens health nutrition development and learning abilities needs to be assessed and used to make further improvementsMeghalayas model to offer lessons for MaharashtraA key component of the workshop is a presentation on Meghalayarsquos work in early childhood development Meghalaya Principal Secretary Sampath Kumar is expected to present the statersquos experience and successful initiativesThe Meghalaya model had earlier been presented at the conference of Chief Secretaries chaired by the Prime MinisterDr Pardeshi said Maharashtra could study Meghalayarsquos experience and explore how similar interventions could be adapted and implemented on a much larger scale considering Maharashtrarsquos vast geographical spread and social diversitylsquoLearn reflect innovate and find actionable solutionsrsquoThe workshop has been organised around the approach of ldquoLearn reflect innovate and find actionable solutionsrdquoThe objective is to bring together policymakers fieldlevel officials medical experts districtlevel administrators and representatives from various departments to identify practical interventions that can be implemented on the groundDr Pardeshi also emphasised the need to improve learning outcomes among students in zilla parishad and municipal schools Better learning outcomes he said could have a positive impact on several Sustainable Development GoalsChief Secretary Rajesh Kumar Agarwal inaugurated the workshop Public Health Department Principal Secretary Dr Nipun Vinayak Meghalaya Principal Secretary Sampath Kumar Tribal Development Secretary Vijay Waghmare Rural Development Secretary Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar and YASHADA Director General Dr Suhas Diwase along with senior officials from various departments zilla parishad chief executive officers and medical experts attended the workshopThe programme was conducted by Seema Jagtap while YASHADA Deputy Director General Dr Mallinath Kalashetti proposed the vote of thanks