Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Maharashtra Launches 1,000-Day Mission for Integrated Early Childhood Development
Maharashtra plans to start a special mission for mothers and young children.
The mission will last 1,000 days, an important period for early growth.
Different government departments will work together instead of working separately.
They will study health, nutrition, breastfeeding and immunisation.
The government will create a Mission Secretariat to check progress using real data.
Tribal areas, city slums and crowded neighbourhoods will receive special attention.
Officials will use successful ideas from places such as Nashik, Jalna, Pune and Nandurbar.
The plan will allow different areas to use solutions that fit their local needs.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed departments to jointly draft a 1,000 Days Early Childhood Development Mission.
The Public Health and Women and Child Development departments will submit the mission framework to the State Cabinet.
A dedicated Mission Secretariat will conduct regular, data-driven monitoring, including possible third-party assessments.
The mission will track maternal anaemia, malnutrition, breastfeeding, immunisation and other nutritional indicators.
Officials will adapt interventions to local conditions, with special attention to tribal regions, urban slums and densely populated areas.
- Who
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Public Health Department, the Women and Child Development Department and other state departments.
- What
- The state will develop a 1,000 Days Early Childhood Development Mission focused on integrated maternal and child development.
- When
- The announcement and planning directive were made on Thursday; the articles do not specify a launch date.
- Where
- Maharashtra, including tribal regions, urban slums and densely populated neighbourhoods.
- Why
- To improve early childhood outcomes by coordinating departments and using evidence-based, data-driven interventions.
- Mission
- 1,000 Days Early Childhood Development Mission
- Lead departments
- Public Health and Women and Child Development
- Next step
- Jointly draft the framework and submit it to the State Cabinet
- Monitoring body
- A dedicated Mission Secretariat
- Indicators
- Maternal anaemia, births to malnourished children, breastfeeding, immunisation and other nutritional measures
- Priority areas
- Tribal regions, urban slums and densely populated neighbourhoods
- Local models
- Initiatives from Nashik, Jalna, Pune and Nandurbar produced encouraging results