SHILLONG, June 22: Meghalaya’s efforts to give children a stronger start in life have earned national recognition, with the state’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Mission winning the prestigious Gold SKOCH Award in the Early Childhood Development category at the 108th SKOCH Summit in New Delhi.
The award places Meghalaya among the country’s leading innovators in social development and governance, recognising its unique model that brings together government departments, community institutions, faith-based organisations and development partners to improve the well-being of young children.
The honour was announced during the SKOCH Summit’s Public Policy Forum on Regulatory Framework for Viksit Bharat, following a rigorous nationwide evaluation process that assessed projects through presentations, public voting, expert reviews, documentation, impact studies and outcome-based assessments.
Officials said the Meghalaya ECD Mission stood out for its integrated approach to child development, focusing not only on nutrition and healthcare but also on responsive caregiving, early learning, community participation and behavioural change.
Led by the Social Welfare Department, the Mission has brought together multiple stakeholders, including the Health Department, Education Department, Community & Rural Development Department, Self-Help Groups, frontline workers and faith-based organisations to create a statewide support system for children during their formative years.
The SKOCH jury particularly highlighted several innovative interventions undertaken by the Mission, including the integration of ECD programmes within Self-Help Group networks, community mobilisation through faith-based organisations, promotion of early stimulation through the Music and Movement Programme, and initiatives aimed at strengthening gender equality and social inclusion.
The award is being seen as a major endorsement of Meghalaya’s child-centric development strategy and its efforts to move beyond conventional service delivery towards a holistic model of early childhood care and development.
A delegation comprising Ronald Kynta, Chief Operating Officer of the Meghalaya ECD Mission, Programme Manager Nayna Warjri, and Civil Engineer Meaibor Hiam Roy M. Pdah represented the Mission during the final stage of the assessment and award presentation in New Delhi.
Officials said the recognition would further strengthen the Mission’s resolve to expand partnerships and scale innovative interventions to ensure that every child in Meghalaya receives adequate nutrition, care, protection, learning opportunities and support during the most critical years of development.
