New Delhi, June 22: Meghalaya’s Early Childhood Development Mission clinched the Gold SKOCH Award Saturday for building a statewide model that puts community at the center of raising children.
The prize, announced at the 108th SKOCH Summit in New Delhi during the Public Policy Forum on Regulatory Framework for Viksit Bharat, followed a tough three-month national review that began in March. The Mission beat entries from across India after multiple rounds of presentations, public voting, expert audits, and outcome assessments.
The jury singled out Meghalaya’s collaborative approach. Led by the Social Welfare Department, the Mission links Health, Education, Community and Rural Development, MSRLS, SRES, faith groups, self-help networks, and frontline workers to cover nutrition, early learning, responsive caregiving, and protection in a child’s first years. Key moves include running ECD programs through SHG platforms, using music and movement for early stimulation, and embedding gender equality across interventions.
Instead of relying only on service delivery, the state built an ecosystem focused on community ownership and behavior change. That shift helped the Mission stand out as a national benchmark for multi-sectoral convergence.
Ronald Kynta, Nayna Warjri, and Meaibor Hiam Roy M Pdah led the final presentation in New Delhi. For the Mission, the Gold SKOCH Award is a green light to scale innovations and deepen partnerships, with one goal: giving every child in Meghalaya the care, nutrition, and early learning needed to thrive.
