Early Childhood Care and Education in India in the Lens of NEP 2020: Foundation of Lifelong Learning

Early childhood, from birth to 6 years, is regarded as a critical phase for a child’s cognitive, physical, motor, social, and emotional development, and the child’s brain undergoes rapid development, indicating significant capacity for change. Currently, ‘Early Childhood Care and Education’ (ECCE) has emerged as a critical equity issue in the Indian context. ECCE implies a comprehensive, integrative program that includes nutrition, health, and infant and early childhood education, playing a crucial role in laying the foundation for lifelong learning while promoting overall development and well-being. SDG 4.2 aims to ‘ensure that by 2030, all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education, thereby preparing them for primary education’. This goal is the highest priority and highlights the significance of this critical early phase for a child’s holistic well-being and future academic success. In this context, NEP 2020 regards ECCE as the foundation of a child’s holistic development. This study seeks to examine the proposals for new policy and the post-NEP 2020 policy review, and to navigate potential future paths for restructuring the ECCE with respect to the foundation of lifelong learning.