Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida joined Union Minister Annapurna Devi in New Delhi on Wednesday for a two-day national summit aimed at tightening coordination on nutrition, child protection, women’s safety and empowerment programmes.
The Departmental Summit of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, running on 8–9 October 2026, has brought together ministers and senior officials from states and Union Territories. Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Odisha’s Women and Child Development Department, Mrinalini Darswal, is also taking part. The gathering is structured to move beyond broad discussion and produce a time-bound action plan with clear responsibilities, timelines and monitoring.
Four themes anchor the deliberations. Participants are examining how Anganwadi centres can be reimagined to deliver stronger nutrition and early education; how child-protection systems can be reinforced; how institutional and legislative frameworks can improve women’s safety; and how key empowerment schemes can show clearer results on the ground. Centre–state convergence is a running thread, with the emphasis on translating existing programmes into measurable gains for women and children.
Parida’s presence highlights Odisha’s interest in both presenting its own approaches and absorbing practices that have worked elsewhere. Officials expect the closing sessions to lock in practical follow-up rather than leave the discussions as a statement of intent.
The summit ends on 9 October with the action plan that will guide subsequent implementation across participating states and Union Territories.
