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New Delhi, Feb 16: Catch them young goes the saying. Recent research has provided evidence that investing in the early years of childhood pays rich dividends. The first eight years of a child’s life are believed to be the most critical in laying the foundation for cognitive, physical and emotional development.
In a significant partnership, the first of its kind, Jamia Milia Islamia and Save the Children have come together to set up a Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research which will address challenges to the holistic development of young children.
Inaugurating the Centre, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Mr. Kapil Sibal, said Early Childhood Development (ECD) as a concept has unfortunately not gained ground in India and is recognised as an area that requires pioneering work. “Various aspects of a child’s personality develop between the ages of 0-6. These are the critical years and we must invest in this critical phase if we are to shape a better future for children, our future” Mr. Sibal said. He said a representation would be made to the Planning Commission to evolve a policy for the XII Plan for the care and development of the 0-6 years.
Mr. Thomas Chandy, CEO, Save the Children, said: “There is strong evidence that the early childhood years are the most critical in laying the foundation for cognitive, physical and emotional development. Opportunities provided to a child in the first years are crucial in determining lifelong outcomes.”
“It is our common vision that every child in India is provided a nurturing and stimulating environment for her optimal and holistic development,” Najeeb Jung, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Milia, said.
The ECD Centre, which will provide a platform for key stakeholders such as civil society and ECD professionals to initiate sector reform, aims to develop as a national resource in early childhood development by influencing policy through research and advocacy.
Notes to Editor:
1. Early childhood is defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as the period below the age of eight years.
2. Research indicates that if these early years are not supported by a stimulating and enriching physical and psycho social environment, the chances of a child’s brain developing to its full potential are considerably, and often irreversibly, reduced.
3. Early Childhood Development Services for children in India are at the moment fragmented as they fall under different Ministries – Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Women and Child Development.
4. The ECD Centre will offer fellowships and encourage research in early child development.
For more information, photographs, interviews, please contact Priya Subramanian, Media and Communications Manager, at +919999269395 or email:
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Save the Children is the leading, independent child rights organisation that works in India and in over 120 countries around the world. In India, Save the Children works in 10 States focusing on strengthening child rights in the key areas of inclusive education, child protection, health and nutrition and emergencies. Through our programmes so far, we have brought positive change to the lives of over 3 million children and their families in India.
Jamia Milia Islamia was founded in Aligarh on October 29, 1920 in response to Mahatma Gandhi’s call to boycott British supported educational institutions. It moved from Aligarh to Delhi in 1925. In 1988, Jamia became a full-fledged Central University. Jamia has carved a niche in the academic world as a centre of learning without compromising its foundational values of secularism and democracy.
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