Assam and ITC Target Early Childhood Growth in 11 Districts

Guwahati: The Women and Child Development Department of Assam and ITC Limited met June 23 to assess a three-year push for early childhood development. They target 11 districts across the state. Gauri Shankar Sharma, department director, chaired the first meeting of the Project Management Committee.

The partnership focuses on nutrition, early learning, and health. They want to sharpen the skills of frontline workers. Better outcomes for kids remain the primary goal. Officials from the health and Poshan Abhiyaan sectors joined district welfare officers to finalize the roadmap through 2027.

The committee released a new baseline report and factsheets. Sharma thanked ITC and partner groups, YouthInvest Foundation and Vikramshila, for their work. He noted that the state must look ahead. Sharma stated, "He emphasized the need to expand the initiative to more districts in the future, in line with the department's broader objective of improving early childhood development indicators across Assam."

Rural and underserved areas take priority. The program hopes to drive lasting improvements in child health and education.