Bhubaneswar, January 20: In a significant step towards strengthening Early Childhood Care, Education and Development (ECCED) through inter-State collaboration, the Government of Odisha and the Government of Meghalaya on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at mutual learning, capacity building, and exchange of best practices in Early Childhood Development (ECD).

The MoU was signed in the presence of D.K. Singh, Development Commissioner- cum-ACS, Odisha; Dr. Sampath Kumar, Principal Secretary- Health, Social Welfare, Community & Rural Development Departments and Development Commissioner, Planning Department, Government of Meghalaya; Shubha Sarma, Principal Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, Government of Odisha; and Monisha Banerjee, IAS, Director, ICDS & Social Welfare.

The agreement was formally signed by Sampath Kumar, Principal Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, and Ananta Narayan Singh Laguri, Additional Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, Government of Odisha.

The MoU envisages collaboration between the two states to strengthen holistic Early Childhood Care, Education & Development interventions, encompassing nutrition, health, early learning, responsive caregiving, community engagement, and institutional capacity building. It provides a framework for knowledge exchange, joint research, exposure visits, documentation of best practices, and capacity development of functionaries at various levels.

Speaking on the occasion, the dignitaries highlighted the critical importance of the early years as the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and well-being, and underscored the value of state-to-state learning in developing contextually relevant, community-driven solutions.

The partnership also seeks to leverage Odisha’s experience in community-based and culturally responsive ECD initiatives and Meghalaya’s innovative approaches in delivering social sector services in tribal and geographically challenging contexts, fostering a two-way learning process.

This collaboration reflects the shared commitment of both states to advancing equitable and inclusive early childhood outcomes, aligned with national priorities for human capital development.

The MoU is expected to translate into actionable learning and on-ground impact, benefiting young children, caregivers, and frontline workers across both States.