- Centres within 200 metres of council schools to be relocated in mission mode by August 15; over 1.64 lakh centres already integrated
- Children aged 3 to 6 will get safe classrooms, drinking water, toilets, and play areas; learning continuity from Bal Vatika to Class 1 will be strengthened, says Minister Sandeep Singh
Lucknow: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government is set to relocate 15,613 anganwadi centres into council school (parishadiya vidyalaya) premises by August 15, 2026, giving fresh momentum to the integration of basic education and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). These are anganwadi centres that, despite being located within a 200-metre radius of council schools, are currently operating out of buildings outside the education department’s own premises. Under this mission-mode drive, children will be provided a quality early-learning environment inside school campuses — complete with safe, designated classrooms, clean drinking water, toilets, play areas, electricity, and other basic facilities.
Sandeep Singh, the state’s Minister of State for Basic Education (Independent Charge), said early childhood education forms the most important foundation of the National Education Policy 2020. He said moving anganwadi centres into school premises would give young children access to a quality educational environment, activity-based learning, and better school facilities right from an early age, strengthening the continuity of learning from Bal Vatika through to Class 1. He added that the government’s central goal is to ensure every child is fully ready to learn by the time they take formal admission into school.
So far, mapping has been completed for a total of 1,89,208 anganwadi centres across the state, of which 1,64,480 have already been integrated with council school premises. Joint guidelines on the process have been issued by Monika Rani, Director General of School Education and State Project Director, and Harshita Mathur, Director of the Child Development Services and Nutrition department. Under these guidelines, relocation will only take place at schools that already have safe classrooms, electricity, and other necessary facilities in place. The initiative’s core objective is to give children aged three to six a school environment from an early stage, and to build stronger coordination between early childhood education and basic education in line with the National Education Policy 2020 — reinforcing the learning continuum from Bal Vatika to Class 1 and strengthening school readiness.
All districts have been instructed to carry out the drive in mission mode. District Programme Officers and District Basic Education Officers will jointly monitor its progress. Once relocation is complete, a report jointly signed by both officers, in a prescribed format, will be sent to the Directorate of Child Development Services and Nutrition and to the office of the Director General of School Education. All districts have been directed to ensure the relocation of identified anganwadi centres is completed by August 15, 2026.
