Policy specialists and researchers called for reducing the administrative burden on Anganwadi workers and deploying technology to support early childhood education (ECE) at Udaan 2026, an early childhood care conference hosted by non-profit organisation Rocket Learning in the capital on Wednesday.

Speakers at the conference highlighted that frontline childcare personnel remain encumbered by extensive manual record-keeping, which detracts from early learning instruction and maternal healthcare delivery.

Dr M Srinivas, member of NITI Aayog, said policy reforms and digital tools must streamline administrative workflows to allow Anganwadi workers to concentrate on direct childcare and developmental support. The meeting also examined the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in identifying vulnerabilities amongst underprivileged households.

Former Union Labour and Employment Secretary Arti Ahuja noted that data tools could track village-level indicators, including seasonal family migration and local food shortages, allowing authorities to intervene before young children fall behind in foundational development.

During the conference, Dr Abhijeet Singh, Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics and board member (Education) at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), presented findings from an evaluation of a technology-based homegrown early childhood development model. The evaluation highlighted the impact and cost-effectiveness of the model, offering lessons for strengthening early childhood development at scale.

Officials from the Women and Child Development departments of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh participated in discussions alongside representatives from multilateral institutions, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

The panels focused on reforming and enabling Anganwadis, investing in early childhood development, lessons from academia, and leveraging technology to support early learning.