Chandigarh, Apr 20 (PTI) Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi here on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the progress of key state government initiatives in sports, early childhood education, nutrition, and higher education.
Rastogi said the state’s progress would be measured by its ability to deliver transparent, technology-driven and citizen-centric governance as it strives to become a leader in the national development agenda in line with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Commissioner & Secretary of the Women & Child Development Department Shekhar Vidyarthi said Haryana has made progress in transforming anganwadi centres into quality early learning institutions for children from birth to six years of age.
More than 4,000 anganwadi centres have been upgraded with pre-school education kits, educational toys, furniture, hygiene materials, and RO drinking water facilities, while 21,962 additional centres have received customised education kits, an official statement said.
A workforce of 25,000 anganwadi workers, trained across all 22 districts with the support of 88 state-level master trainers, is delivering quality care and early learning to lakhs of children daily, it said.
Monthly ECCE (early childhood care and education) Days, themed around “Khel Khel Mein Seekhna” and “Swachhta aur Achi Aadatein”, see participation from over 22,800 anganwadi workers and 1.5 lakh parents each month.
More than 1,050 parent-teacher meetings have been conducted for children aged 3-6 years, while 450 PTMs and 200 home visits have been conducted for children aged 0-3 years. Around 15,000 ‘Vidyarambh Certificates’ have been distributed in several districts, with remaining districts set to follow soon, it said.
The chief secretary directed the Women and Child Development Department to clearly define measurable targets for each actionable item and ensure their timely completion within the stipulated timelines.
Education and child welfare also remained a primary focus of the review. The participants at the meeting were informed that the NIPUN Bharat Mission would be extended to Grade 5 by March 2027.
To ensure the health and academic tracking of the state’s youth, the administration is fast-tracking the issuance of APAAR and ABHA digital IDs for all children in the zero-to-six age group. Furthermore, the Health Department has been tasked with developing a repository of regional nutritious recipes and ensuring absolute compliance with health protocols for children with severe acute malnutrition, it said.
‘Poshan vatikas’ are being developed at anganwadi centres to provide fresh produce for children. Hygiene kits, including mirrors, combs, nail cutters, and towels, are also being introduced to inculcate cleanliness and self-care habits among young children, the statement said.
In higher education, the state has launched the Haryana State Research Fund (HSRF) with an initial allocation of Rs 20 crore. The fund provides research grants of up to Rs 50 lakh for teachers and Rs 5 lakh for students. The initiative has received 350 research proposals, with 90 shortlisted so far. The Haryana State Higher Education Council is the nodal agency for implementation, it said.
Capacity-building workshops on the National Education Policy 2020 were conducted across affiliated colleges between September and November 2025. Universities are also being encouraged to strengthen alumni networks to support academic growth and innovation.
The government said that Haryana is now setting ambitious targets for the 2036 Olympics with a long-term talent identification programme, ‘Vijayee Bhavah’, aimed at grooming children aged 8 to 10 years into world-class athletes capable of winning medals for India.
Initial funding for the programme has been sanctioned by the Finance Department, and implementation will be undertaken by the Sports University of Haryana, it said.
District-level talent identification is being actively pursued under the “One District, One Sport” initiative, ensuring that sporting talent from every district gets equal opportunities, it said. PTI SUN SKY SKY
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