SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday inaugurated 100 Saksham ICT Labs across Anganwadi Centres in Ladakh, with 50 facilities established in Leh and an equal number in Kargil to strengthen early childhood care and education and foundational learning.
Saxena inaugurated one of the labs physically at the Anganwadi Centre at Government Primary School, Killibuk, Thiksey, while the remaining facilities were inaugurated virtually.
The initiative has been undertaken under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and is aligned with the Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi initiative, Aadharshila Curriculum and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) framework of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The ICT Labs will provide children with age-appropriate digital and audio-visual learning material, including stories, rhymes, poems and songs. The facilities are also intended to support language and communication skills, understanding of colours and shapes, pre-number concepts, and cognitive, creative, physical and motor development.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Lieutenant Governor said the quality of learning and development provided to children in their early years would have a bearing on Ladakh’s future.
Saxena said the initiative was not intended simply to introduce technology into Anganwadi Centres but to combine technology with creativity, participation and joyful learning.
He stressed that the ICT facilities would complement, rather than replace, play-based and activity-based learning, enabling children to explore, ask questions and learn through experience.
The Lieutenant Governor also said technology should not replace children’s imagination or human interaction, but should be used to provide opportunities for exploration, expression and curiosity.
The initiative has been implemented through convergence between the Social and Tribal Welfare Department and the Information Technology Department, with the latter providing the ICT equipment.
The 100 centres across Leh and Kargil are expected to provide technology-enabled learning support at the grassroots level while contributing to the holistic development of children during their formative years.
