India’s long-term growth, competitiveness, and ability to harness its demographic dividend depend critically on an investment that receives far less attention than it deserves — learning early and learning well. With nearly 250 million children below the age of 10 and around 137 million young people set to enter the workforce by 2047, the quality of learning in the first decade of life will decisively shape India’s productivity, innovation capacity, and economic resilience. Early learning is therefore not a social sector add-on, but a core pillar of Viksit Bharat.
Why early learning matters for economic transformation
Research across countries consistently shows that cognitive, social, and emotional foundations laid in early childhood have lifelong effects. Longitudinal evidence from India indicates that quality early learning interventions significantly improve cognition, attention, motivation, and social-emotional skills. These gains translate into better school outcomes, higher employability, and improved earnings later in life. Early Childhood Education (ECE) is thus not merely about school readiness; it is about building human capital that sustains growth over decades.
From early childhood to classrooms: the role of FLN
While ECE provides the base, the real test begins once children enter formal schooling. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) — the ability to read with understanding and apply basic mathematics — determines whether children can meaningfully engage with all future learning. The “” recognises this link and prioritises universal, high-quality ECE and FLN by Grade 3 as twin pillars of India’s human capital strategy. These goals are to be delivered through strengthened Anganwadis, Balvatikas, and the early primary grades.
Strengthening Anganwadis for ages 3–5
Children aged three to five largely rely on Anganwadis, the world’s largest publicly funded early childhood system, with about 14 lakh centres covering roughly 60 per cent of eligible children. However, Anganwadi workers shoulder multiple responsibilities — nutrition, health, administration, and pre-school education — which limits the time and attention available for quality learning.
Evidence from structured Early Childhood Care and Education programmes in India shows substantial improvements in cognitive outcomes when dedicated educators focus on early learning. Studies and state-level pilots demonstrate that adding an additional educator increases instructional time, improves school readiness, and even contributes to better health outcomes such as reduced stunting. Scaling this model across Anganwadis could create large-scale employment for women educators, improve educator–child ratios, and transform Anganwadis into aspirational early learning spaces central to Viksit Bharat.
Bridging the readiness gap through Balvatikas (ages 5–6)
A major transition gap emerges around age five. Enrolment in Anganwadis drops sharply, and many children enter Grade 1 without the skills needed to cope with formal schooling. Balvatikas — pre-primary sections attached to schools — are designed to bridge this gap. Yet only a small proportion of government schools with pre-primary sections currently have dedicated ECE teachers, resulting in high child-to-educator ratios.
Recognising this, the Ministry of Education has brought Balvatikas under the NIPUN Bharat mission, providing dedicated grants for infrastructure, staffing, and learning materials. States such as Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Haryana have moved quickly by hiring pre-primary educators and expanding coverage. Their experience shows that relatively modest investments in qualified staff can yield significant gains in school readiness and early learning outcomes.
Consolidating learning in ages 6–10 through FLN
Between ages six and ten, children move through Grades 1 to 5, where mastery of FLN is essential. National assessments such as ASER and NAS show encouraging improvements in early grades, reflecting focused efforts under NIPUN Bharat, including better textbooks, teacher training, and classroom monitoring. The next challenge is to extend this momentum into Grades 4 and 5, ensuring that children transition to middle school with strong reading, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
Several states have introduced institutional innovations — district-level programme management units, strengthened academic support cadres, data dashboards, and community-led remediation — to sustain gains. Going forward, India will need richer reading and mathematics materials that build higher-order skills, along with a nationwide effort to involve parents and communities in supporting foundational learning.
Why this agenda is central to Viksit Bharat
A seamless continuum — strong Anganwadis, effective Balvatikas, and sustained focus on FLN — is not just an education reform agenda. It is an economic strategy that underpins productivity, innovation, and inclusive growth. Countries that fail to build foundational skills early struggle with low learning outcomes, skills mismatches, and stagnant wages later on. For India, getting early learning right is essential to converting its demographic advantage into durable economic strength.
What to note for Prelims?
- Objectives of NEP 2020 related to ECE and FLN.
- Key features of Anganwadis and Balvatikas.
- NIPUN Bharat mission and its focus on foundational learning.
What to note for Mains?
- Link between early learning, human capital formation, and economic growth.
- Challenges in delivering quality ECE and FLN at scale in India.
- Role of state innovations and targeted investments in strengthening foundational education.
