30, May 2026

Early Childhood Care and Education in India under NEP 2020: A critical review

VOLUME-12; ISSUE-5; MAY-2026

Author(s): 1. Kanika Sharma, 2. Prof. Dinesh Chahal

Authors Affiliations:

Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Teacher Education, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India

2Professor, Department of Teacher Education, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India

DOIs:10.2015/IJIRMF/202605039     |     Paper ID: IJIRMF202605039


Abstract
Keywords
Cite this Article/Paper as
References
The future of any nation depends upon its education and for building the successful future of the nation, its strong foundation should be ensured which is Early Childhood Care and Education. It is upon which the development of whole society depends. The overall development of the children depends upon the quality of education they receive in their early years. In its new structure of education, NEP 2020 has given major priority to Early Childhood Care and Education to ensure the well-being and all-round development of the children. The aim of the present paper is to critically review the Early Childhood Care and Education with respect to National Education Policy 2020. This paper is based on many review papers, policy documents, articles which marked the significance of ECCE in terms of NEP 2020. The paper also highlighted the challenges that are arising in its proper implementation and will also propose some measures to improve the Early Childhood Care and Education to ensure its effectiveness.
Early Childhood Care and Education, holistic development, NEP 2020.

Kanika Sharma, Prof. Dinesh Chahal (2026); Early Childhood Care and Education in India under NEP 2020: A critical review, International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, ISSN(O): 2455-0620, Vol-12, Issue-5, Available on –   https://www.ijirmf.com/

  1. Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) 2019. ASER Centre.
  2. Baragade, D., Raut, R., & Jadhav, V. (2025). Challenges and opportunities of ECCE implementation: New Education Policy 2020 perspectives. SJ International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 14(89), 408-420.
  3. Das, K., & Singh, A. (2025). NEP 2020 and the future of early childhood care and education in India: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Educare (JoE), 2(1), 81-91.
  4. Ganguly, P. (2024). National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) in relation to early childhood care and education (ECCE). Indian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 1(1), 52–60.
  5. Government of India. (2013). National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy. Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  6. Government of India. (2015). Integrated Child Development Services. Ministry of Women & Child Development.
  7. Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Ministry of Education.
  8. Government of India. (2022). National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS). Ministry of Education / National Council of Educational Research and Training.
  9. Government of Maharashtra. (2023). GR No. ECD/Pre-Primary/2023-24: Integration of Pre- Primary Classes in Government Schools. School Education Department.
  10. Jain, A. (2024). Shaping the future with early childhood education in NEP 2020. Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research Innovation and Development, 1(2), 1-9.
  11. Kaul, V. (2019). Early Childhood Education in India: Progress and Challenges. Indian Journal of Human Development, 13(3), 391-407.
  12. Kaul, V., and D. Sankar. (2009). Education for All-Mid-Decade Assessment. New Delhi: National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA).
  13. Kundu, P. (2020). Does NEP 2020 Meet India’s Needs?. Observer Research Foundation.
  14. Ministry of Education. (2021). NIPUN Bharat: National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. Government of India.
  15. Rahaman, S. M., Mondal, N., & Chattopadhyay, K. N. (2024). A comprehensive overview of early childhood care and education: Policies and schemes. Research Review International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 9(2), 1–9.
  16. Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. National Academy Press.
  17. SK, K. (2025). Early childhood care and education in India: Policy frameworks, initiatives, and schemes. Journal of Advance and Future Research, 3(10), 233-243.
  18. (2019). A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing Quality Early Childhood Education. United Nations Children’s Fund.
Post Views: 59

Download Full Paper

Download PDF No. of Downloads:16 | No. of Views: 47