The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has intensified efforts to strengthen foundational education through the large-scale distribution of activity-based learning materials across co-located Anganwadi centres and Balvatikas in the state.
The initiative targets children in the three-to-six age group and aims to improve early childhood learning through educational resources such as “Chahak-1, 2 and 3”, “Kadam”, “Kalankur”, Big Books, holistic report cards and Balvatika booklets.
Officials said the programme aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020, which places Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at the core of foundational learning and child development.
Under the initiative, all co-located Anganwadi centres and Balvatikas across the state will receive age-appropriate educational resources, including 12 varieties of Big Books, Balvatika handbooks, teaching charts and holistic report cards.
The government said the programme marks a significant step toward strengthening pre-primary education and expanding access to quality early learning opportunities for lakhs of children.
Officials noted that the state has already introduced several school education reforms through smart classrooms, Operation Kayakalp, digital monitoring systems and the NIPUN Bharat Mission.
Pre-primary education is now being integrated into the broader reform agenda with a stronger emphasis on developing children’s foundational learning skills at an early stage, officials said.
The initiative is expected to particularly benefit children from rural and economically disadvantaged communities by improving access to structured and activity-based learning.
The government has placed special focus on play-based and child-centric teaching methods, identifying the three-to-six age group as a crucial stage for mental, linguistic and social development.
Officials said the “Chahak” series has been designed to improve language development, listening and speaking skills, along with basic learning competencies.
Educational resources such as “Kadam” and “Kalankur” aim to promote creativity, curiosity and cognitive development, while Big Books and teacher guides are intended to help ECCE educators and Anganwadi workers adopt modern teaching methods.
To ensure transparency and efficient implementation, the state government has also introduced real-time monitoring through the “Kitab Vitaran App”.
Under the digital monitoring mechanism, Basic Shiksha Adhikaris, Block Education Officers, principals, ARPs, SRGs and DIET mentors have been assigned responsibility for supervising and scanning the distribution process.
Officials said the application would enable authorities to track the distribution of learning materials to Balvatikas in real time, improving accountability and ensuring timely delivery.
(With IANS inputs)
