August 6, 2025 • 14 mins
Mobile Creches in addition to setting up creches in urban areas, also works in the rural belts of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to ensure the children in these belts have access to creches which is the first step towards a brighter future- for the child, the family and the country as a whole.
In the fourth episode of our five part series in association with Mobile Creches, Niharika Nanda is in conversation with Chirashree Ghosh, Executive Director, Policy and Partnerships, Mobile Creches and community engagement expert Mukesh Kumar. We will discuss why policy support is essential for Early Childhood Development and the role that is played by grassroot governance structures like Panchayats.
Hosted and produced by Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Links to the previous episodes in the series:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
In the fourth episode of our five part series in association with Mobile Creches, Niharika Nanda is in conversation with Chirashree Ghosh, Executive Director, Policy and Partnerships, Mobile Creches and community engagement expert Mukesh Kumar. We will discuss why policy support is essential for Early Childhood Development and the role that is played by grassroot governance structures like Panchayats.
Hosted and produced by Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Links to the previous episodes in the series:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, I'm Nahari Kananda and you are listening to express podcasts.
Mubail Crushes, in addition to setting up pressures in urban areas,
also work in the rural belts of Udisha, Charkhund and
Chatashka to ensure that the children in these belts have
access to creushes and early childhood care, which is the
first step towards a brighter future.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
For the children, the family and the country as a whole.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
In the last three episodes, we have spoken to political
leaders and experts on the benefits of early childhood care
and how it is being implemented in states like Haryana
and Karnataka. In the next two episodes, we will hear
from on ground actioners about their efforts and the challenges
that they face today. In the fourth episode of our
five part series, in association with Mobile Crushes, we will
(00:50):
discuss why policy support is essential for early childhood development
and the role that is played by grassroot governance structures
like panchayats early childhood development to reach the interiors of
India when chiats play a transformative role in shifting community
mindsets and getting them used to the concept of cresh services. Today,
(01:11):
we will hear from Jurish Recast, Executive director Policy and Partnerships,
Mobile Crushes and a community engagement expert Mukish Komar on
how Mobile Crushes works with over fifty punchayats to mobilize
community and make them understand that sending a child to
a crush is not leaving them behind, but it is
(01:31):
helping them move towards a brighter future. So, Churishreamam to
begin with, can you tell us how do national policies
currently support early childhood development and where do you see
gaps that need urgent attention.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
If we talk about the policy, think there are a
lot of policy at the national level, like is you
see policy that is early Childhood Care and Education policy
which has been passed in twenty thirty which talk about
holistic right of the child for zero to six years.
In that norms and standards has been set and one
(02:06):
of the important things in that policy they have talked
about five percent a converted into pressures where the children
can stay more than seventy hours in a place in
a very safe, secure and nurturing environment space. So that
is the one of the SEC policy and I'm very
proud to share that Mobile Cristius was.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Very much instrumental in coming.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
This policy and we were part of the drafting committee
and eighty to ninety percent of our suggestions were accepted
by the government. So that was a very landmark achievement.
We will say in the SEC Policy twenty thirteen. Second
policy is that new Education Policy twenty twenty, which is
the extension first time after the whole our network, our
(02:52):
mobile crisis effort.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
They have extended to three to eight years.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So that is also a landmark thing because we know
that right to education is about six to fourteen and
under six has been not been included in the right framework.
So in the policy commitment at least three.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
To eight years has been come.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Third is the whole potion Abian thing which is twenty
nineteen that talk about behavioral change thing and in whole
all the policy documents which has come as in Mobile
Creases having more than five decades of experience working at
the childcare field, so government see Mobile Creases as a
(03:33):
technical partner for their policy drafting and also building demonstration at.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
The ground level. So that is the whole policy front.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
If I say the thing the major gap I think
is the whole implementation part and that the implementation part
the gap is because of.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Very low budgetary allocations.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
If the budget has been actually enhanced, that implementation will
be good. Some capacity building is another. I think it
is a major thing which we all have to walk together.
And I think their need to be joining hands with
the civil society, organization, government and the private sector. Once
three of the major key players, if come together, the
(04:19):
things will be right at the ground level.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Absolutely, and mom, how do organizations like Mobile Crushes complement
the government's efforts in providing childcare and early childhood development services?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Mobile Creashes, as I already talked about that Mobile Creasius
is part of all the committees which is for policy
formulation is going so we give our experiences with our
ground experiences. We actually share our experience at the policy
front and as a part of the committee we are
able to influence the government. We also have a strong
(04:53):
base at the ground level where we also directly work
at the ground with a very strong bag and we
actually help the government as a technical support unit to
set up those childcare provisions at the ground level. Like
in Haryana, we have signed an MoU with the government
to have and Crushes at the ground level we have
(05:14):
signed an MoU in Karnataka and we have also done
in Telangana and now we are doing but we are
so there are states which are seeking support from mobile crashes,
and mobile crishes happily share their experience to be set
up at the ground level, so that way at the
policy front also and at the ground level support.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
It's like a handholding kind of thing with the government
to set up crashes at.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
The ground And since you mentioned that mobile Crushes shares
its ground level experiences with the government, of course that
also includes your work.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
With the panchayats. So what role do local governance.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Structures like panchayats play in strengthening early childhood development services
at the grassroot level.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Punchaya plays a very important role in the ECD front
at the ground level because we know in the seventy
three Amendment, the eleven schedule of the seventy three Amendment
talk about twenty nine topics and within the twenty nine topics,
women and child is one.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Of the topics.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
And we take that as a leverage point and we
actually engage closely with the PUNCHAT members aware them and
for the awaaring Punchat, it is very much required that
the village people are also aware about the importance of
early childhood care. Because one of the villages they are
taking it as in priority, it will come into the
gram Saba. The whole process is unless the issue has
(06:38):
not been emerging in gram Sabha and it will be
not taken up by the Punchat once it is coming
to the gram Saba. There is second layer is they
prepare the gram Punchad Development Plan which is called GPTP plan.
Within the GPTP plan, if most of the people raise
this issue that young child agenda is important within the
twenty nine topics, we.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Should also considered.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
The young child agenda and then they integrate it within
the development plans and there is an allocated budget at
the Punchayat level so that budget is been utilized for
the young child.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
We have worked closely with ninety Punchat last year.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And we are very proud to share that around one
twelve lax rupiece has been allocated for the gram Puntat
for young child issue and that has been a remarkable
achievement because if we see the baseline earlier, no budget
was been allocated for the young children. The budget allocation
(07:36):
is the one phase. Second phase is the ole budget
tracking part. What is happening the budget sometimes come it
is not being spent, so another phase we walk that
actually the budget if one hundred roup has been spent
in the specific line item or not, but once we
are tracking with them, it has been actually spent there
and it has been invested in that.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
And along with strengthening the understanding about the importance of
early childhood development at the grassroot level, what are some
other factors that the panchayats need to keep in mind
while working for the cause.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Punchat plays a very important role because they are situated
at the local level and they have very good access
to the common people.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
And once the easity intervention is done here, that monitoring
part also comes within them. And if they are monitoring
that Danganawari center is opening at the right time, the
whole panganwadi workers is really giving the quality education or
not and all the infrastructure related requirement has been met
or not. So that punchat plays an important role. And
(08:39):
there are a lot of community spaces within the punchat
level and punchayat can mobilize that community spaces for the
young child things, so that can be another important component
where Punchat can play important role.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And now talking about the other side of the coin.
Of course, panchayats help the entire cause of early childhood development,
but the face some issues or some challenges in the
process as well. So can you tell us about that
and how do they bring those issues to the forefront.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Punchat face a lot of problem while allocating budget for
the ECD provisioning. One problem and challenges they face is
the whole budget cash flow. Because once the budget is
allocated at the punchat level, it goes at the block
level and then at the state level and there is
a whole central allocated fund which is seventeen lags for
(09:30):
each punchat and three lack eighty five thousand is.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
For at the state level.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
This fund flow is sometimes get delayed and whatever plan
has been done, it gets delayed. So it is very
important that there is continuous cash flow of the plan
so that they can invest that budget at correct time. Secondly,
that whole building of those plans. Now government has come
up with a very standardized format of what are the.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Components where they and in build the CD provisioning thing.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Sometimes there is no scope for innovation or unrestricted budget
within that from work.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
So that is another problem. If they want to.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Do something out of the box, there is very less
scope because they have to build their plan within that format.
So I think these are the two important thing Punchat
is facing. Panchayat actually continues consult with the videos and
other Punchat members and they try to influence that within
the line item if they can pitch in that innovation
(10:33):
part and they can do that.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Now we'll be talking tomsh Kumar, a community engagement expert.
This part of the conversation will be in Hindi Gramen
samaj my early childhood development or y.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
S cho in chip John how with the honky comeing
head coming hack or but k s Ma como comp
(11:28):
party had or ye.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Ye but.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Barye Hamri basic ya hockey or balk ho the enjoy
Hamar pregnant women, Can they enjoy hamri ma k jo milk.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
G or.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Keeping cha to a gramma make crashes shukary all the problems.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
G or yahap Hamara crest central rapper.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
Or un.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Charlie kenro kenro k Grandpa building jo support or building
with him the Hamara quad j mantrance ahead or bos
with high hame same mill happet had to budget, may
(13:00):
say or the.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Advocation and ma'am towards the end, can you share how
our listeners can help and support mobile crushes.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
I think there are two ways to support mobile creasures.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
One is that because our main agenda is the young
child and how they can engage to bring change in
the life of the young childs that they can do.
They can start from home, they can associate with Mobile
Crashes centers, they can give their knowledge sharing to the
caregivers and they can engage themselves in the centers. And
(13:55):
third is by giving some financial or knowledge support that
will really help to mobile crushes to go into extra miles.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
You were listening to Turishrighosh and Maukishkumar in the fourth
episode of our five part series in Association with Mobile Crushes.
If you want to listen to the first three episodes,
the links for the same are provided in the description.
This episode was edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar and
produced by me Hri Khananda. If you like the show,
(14:26):
then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also recommend the show to someone you think
we'll like it, share it with a friend or someone
in a family.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
It's the best way for people to get to know
about us.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
You can also tweet us at Express Podcasts or write
to us at podcasts at Indian Express dot com
Hi, I'm Nahari Kananda and you are listening to express podcasts.
Mubail Crushes, in addition to setting up pressures in urban areas,
also work in the rural belts of Udisha, Charkhund and
Chatashka to ensure that the children in these belts have
access to creushes and early childhood care, which is the
first step towards a brighter future.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
For the children, the family and the country as a whole.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
In the last three episodes, we have spoken to political
leaders and experts on the benefits of early childhood care
and how it is being implemented in states like Haryana
and Karnataka. In the next two episodes, we will hear
from on ground actioners about their efforts and the challenges
that they face today. In the fourth episode of our
five part series, in association with Mobile Crushes, we will
(00:50):
discuss why policy support is essential for early childhood development
and the role that is played by grassroot governance structures
like panchayats early childhood development to reach the interiors of
India when chiats play a transformative role in shifting community
mindsets and getting them used to the concept of cresh services. Today,
(01:11):
we will hear from Jurish Recast, Executive director Policy and Partnerships,
Mobile Crushes and a community engagement expert Mukish Komar on
how Mobile Crushes works with over fifty punchayats to mobilize
community and make them understand that sending a child to
a crush is not leaving them behind, but it is
(01:31):
helping them move towards a brighter future. So, Churishreamam to
begin with, can you tell us how do national policies
currently support early childhood development and where do you see
gaps that need urgent attention.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
If we talk about the policy, think there are a
lot of policy at the national level, like is you
see policy that is early Childhood Care and Education policy
which has been passed in twenty thirty which talk about
holistic right of the child for zero to six years.
In that norms and standards has been set and one
(02:06):
of the important things in that policy they have talked
about five percent a converted into pressures where the children
can stay more than seventy hours in a place in
a very safe, secure and nurturing environment space. So that
is the one of the SEC policy and I'm very
proud to share that Mobile Cristius was.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Very much instrumental in coming.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
This policy and we were part of the drafting committee
and eighty to ninety percent of our suggestions were accepted
by the government. So that was a very landmark achievement.
We will say in the SEC Policy twenty thirteen. Second
policy is that new Education Policy twenty twenty, which is
the extension first time after the whole our network, our
(02:52):
mobile crisis effort.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
They have extended to three to eight years.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So that is also a landmark thing because we know
that right to education is about six to fourteen and
under six has been not been included in the right framework.
So in the policy commitment at least three.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
To eight years has been come.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Third is the whole potion Abian thing which is twenty
nineteen that talk about behavioral change thing and in whole
all the policy documents which has come as in Mobile
Creases having more than five decades of experience working at
the childcare field, so government see Mobile Creases as a
(03:33):
technical partner for their policy drafting and also building demonstration at.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
The ground level. So that is the whole policy front.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
If I say the thing the major gap I think
is the whole implementation part and that the implementation part
the gap is because of.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Very low budgetary allocations.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
If the budget has been actually enhanced, that implementation will
be good. Some capacity building is another. I think it
is a major thing which we all have to walk together.
And I think their need to be joining hands with
the civil society, organization, government and the private sector. Once
three of the major key players, if come together, the
(04:19):
things will be right at the ground level.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Absolutely, and mom, how do organizations like Mobile Crushes complement
the government's efforts in providing childcare and early childhood development services?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Mobile Creashes, as I already talked about that Mobile Creasius
is part of all the committees which is for policy
formulation is going so we give our experiences with our
ground experiences. We actually share our experience at the policy
front and as a part of the committee we are
able to influence the government. We also have a strong
(04:53):
base at the ground level where we also directly work
at the ground with a very strong bag and we
actually help the government as a technical support unit to
set up those childcare provisions at the ground level. Like
in Haryana, we have signed an MoU with the government
to have and Crushes at the ground level we have
(05:14):
signed an MoU in Karnataka and we have also done
in Telangana and now we are doing but we are
so there are states which are seeking support from mobile crashes,
and mobile crishes happily share their experience to be set
up at the ground level, so that way at the
policy front also and at the ground level support.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
It's like a handholding kind of thing with the government
to set up crashes at.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
The ground And since you mentioned that mobile Crushes shares
its ground level experiences with the government, of course that
also includes your work.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
With the panchayats. So what role do local governance.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Structures like panchayats play in strengthening early childhood development services
at the grassroot level.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Punchaya plays a very important role in the ECD front
at the ground level because we know in the seventy
three Amendment, the eleven schedule of the seventy three Amendment
talk about twenty nine topics and within the twenty nine topics,
women and child is one.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Of the topics.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
And we take that as a leverage point and we
actually engage closely with the PUNCHAT members aware them and
for the awaaring Punchat, it is very much required that
the village people are also aware about the importance of
early childhood care. Because one of the villages they are
taking it as in priority, it will come into the
gram Saba. The whole process is unless the issue has
(06:38):
not been emerging in gram Sabha and it will be
not taken up by the Punchat once it is coming
to the gram Saba. There is second layer is they
prepare the gram Punchad Development Plan which is called GPTP plan.
Within the GPTP plan, if most of the people raise
this issue that young child agenda is important within the
twenty nine topics, we.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Should also considered.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
The young child agenda and then they integrate it within
the development plans and there is an allocated budget at
the Punchayat level so that budget is been utilized for
the young child.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
We have worked closely with ninety Punchat last year.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And we are very proud to share that around one
twelve lax rupiece has been allocated for the gram Puntat
for young child issue and that has been a remarkable
achievement because if we see the baseline earlier, no budget
was been allocated for the young children. The budget allocation
(07:36):
is the one phase. Second phase is the ole budget
tracking part. What is happening the budget sometimes come it
is not being spent, so another phase we walk that
actually the budget if one hundred roup has been spent
in the specific line item or not, but once we
are tracking with them, it has been actually spent there
and it has been invested in that.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
And along with strengthening the understanding about the importance of
early childhood development at the grassroot level, what are some
other factors that the panchayats need to keep in mind
while working for the cause.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Punchat plays a very important role because they are situated
at the local level and they have very good access
to the common people.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
And once the easity intervention is done here, that monitoring
part also comes within them. And if they are monitoring
that Danganawari center is opening at the right time, the
whole panganwadi workers is really giving the quality education or
not and all the infrastructure related requirement has been met
or not. So that punchat plays an important role. And
(08:39):
there are a lot of community spaces within the punchat
level and punchayat can mobilize that community spaces for the
young child things, so that can be another important component
where Punchat can play important role.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And now talking about the other side of the coin.
Of course, panchayats help the entire cause of early childhood development,
but the face some issues or some challenges in the
process as well. So can you tell us about that
and how do they bring those issues to the forefront.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Punchat face a lot of problem while allocating budget for
the ECD provisioning. One problem and challenges they face is
the whole budget cash flow. Because once the budget is
allocated at the punchat level, it goes at the block
level and then at the state level and there is
a whole central allocated fund which is seventeen lags for
(09:30):
each punchat and three lack eighty five thousand is.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
For at the state level.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
This fund flow is sometimes get delayed and whatever plan
has been done, it gets delayed. So it is very
important that there is continuous cash flow of the plan
so that they can invest that budget at correct time. Secondly,
that whole building of those plans. Now government has come
up with a very standardized format of what are the.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Components where they and in build the CD provisioning thing.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Sometimes there is no scope for innovation or unrestricted budget
within that from work.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
So that is another problem. If they want to.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Do something out of the box, there is very less
scope because they have to build their plan within that format.
So I think these are the two important thing Punchat
is facing. Panchayat actually continues consult with the videos and
other Punchat members and they try to influence that within
the line item if they can pitch in that innovation
(10:33):
part and they can do that.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Now we'll be talking tomsh Kumar, a community engagement expert.
This part of the conversation will be in Hindi Gramen
samaj my early childhood development or y.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
S cho in chip John how with the honky comeing
head coming hack or but k s Ma como comp
(11:28):
party had or ye.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Ye but.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Barye Hamri basic ya hockey or balk ho the enjoy
Hamar pregnant women, Can they enjoy hamri ma k jo milk.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
G or.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Keeping cha to a gramma make crashes shukary all the problems.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
G or yahap Hamara crest central rapper.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
Or un.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Charlie kenro kenro k Grandpa building jo support or building
with him the Hamara quad j mantrance ahead or bos
with high hame same mill happet had to budget, may
(13:00):
say or the.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Advocation and ma'am towards the end, can you share how
our listeners can help and support mobile crushes.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
I think there are two ways to support mobile creasures.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
One is that because our main agenda is the young
child and how they can engage to bring change in
the life of the young childs that they can do.
They can start from home, they can associate with Mobile
Crashes centers, they can give their knowledge sharing to the
caregivers and they can engage themselves in the centers. And
(13:55):
third is by giving some financial or knowledge support that
will really help to mobile crushes to go into extra miles.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
You were listening to Turishrighosh and Maukishkumar in the fourth
episode of our five part series in Association with Mobile Crushes.
If you want to listen to the first three episodes,
the links for the same are provided in the description.
This episode was edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar and
produced by me Hri Khananda. If you like the show,
(14:26):
then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also recommend the show to someone you think
we'll like it, share it with a friend or someone
in a family.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
It's the best way for people to get to know
about us.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
You can also tweet us at Express Podcasts or write
to us at podcasts at Indian Express dot com
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