Reclaiming Vidya: A Reflection on Anganwadi Centres and the Soul of Learning

 

Reclaiming Vidya: A Reflection on Anganwadi Centres and the Soul of Learning
By Navpreet Kaur, Intern, Nada India Foundation | June 2025 Cohort, Healthy Campus: Prioritizing Good Health & Well-being

Today, I had the opportunity to engage in a deeply thought-provoking conversation with Mr. Suneel Vatsyayan, founder and mentor of Vidya Lead Academy and Chairperson of Nada India Foundation. As part of my internship with Nada Foundation and the Healthy Campus course under Appreciative Enquiry, I’ve been on a journey of rediscovering the roots and purpose of education. Our dialogue focused on a topic that is close to my heart—Anganwadi centers.

Growing up, I attended an Anganwadi center before moving to Delhi. Sadly, my memories are not fond ones. The environment was disheartening. Children showed up primarily to receive meals. Teachers, often untrained, were more interested in household tasks like knitting or shelling peas than in teaching or nurturing young minds. Learning was minimal—if not entirely absent.

This stands in stark contrast to the original purpose of Anganwadis. Introduced in 1975 under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), these centers were established to address child hunger and malnutrition, providing vital care to children under the age of six and to their mothers. Over the years, Anganwadis have evolved into a crucial component of the public health and education system, offering nutrition, basic healthcare, and—ideally—foundational education.

The educational role of Anganwadis is particularly important. With the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 advocating for a foundational stage of education that includes three years of preschool (in Anganwadis or Balvatikas), these centers are positioned as gateways to lifelong learning. They are meant to lay the building blocks of cognitive, emotional, and social development through play-based and experiential learning.

Yet, are they delivering on this promise?

A recent field study titled “Assessment of Anganwadi Centres and Workers in Delivering ECCE” (2025) paints a concerning picture. While 90% of the centers had their own rooms, more than 75% lacked seating arrangements. Teaching materials were scarce in over 83% of the centers. There were no proper facilities for outdoor play, hygiene, or clean water. Only 43.33% had separate toilets. Even more revealing: just 20% of the workers had a strong grasp of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), despite their experience and dedication.

The study reveals that while infrastructure gaps are obvious, there’s also an urgent need for meaningful capacity building and re-envisioning early education—not just as service delivery, but as soulful learning.

That brought us to the core of our conversation—the distinction between Vidya and Education.

Mr. Suneel made an illuminating point: Education today is often sold as a marketable product, whereas Vidya—in its truest sense—is a personal, inward journey. One can buy education; one must live Vidya.

In the Vedic tradition, Vidya is about wisdom, ethics, and the awakening of the soul. It’s not about marks or degrees, but about understanding the self and the world deeply. Modern education, by contrast, has increasingly become transactional—reduced to grades, certificates, and coaching centers. It trains people to succeed, but often leaves them unprepared to think critically or live mindfully.

As a student and a seeker, I realize that many children in Anganwadis may never get to touch the essence of Vidya if the system doesn’t change. They deserve more than mid-day meals. They deserve a nurturing space where they are seen, heard, and inspired to grow—not just physically, but emotionally and intellectually.

NEP 2020 gives us a chance to reimagine this reality. By formally integrating Anganwadis into the education system’s Foundational Stage, we can ensure children enter Grade 1 not just school-ready, but life-ready.

My conversation with Mr. Suneel left me inspired, but also responsible. It reminded me that the real challenge is not about collecting more information—it’s about reclaiming wisdom.

As interns, educators, and community advocates, we have a role to play in restoring Vidya to our learning spaces. Anganwadis could be the first step in this revival—if only we listen, reflect, and act.