Udupi, August 17, 2025: During the inauguration of a newly constructed Anganwadi building at Durga Nagar, Yellur, on August 15, 2025, Minister for Women and Child Development and Udupi District In-Charge Lakshmi Hebbalkar announced that Karnataka is preparing to celebrate the golden jubilee of Anganwadis on October 2, 2025. The event, marking 50 years of the Anganwadi initiative, will be a grand celebration, with plans to host it at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru, as confirmed in discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The minister emphasized the state’s commitment to enhancing pre-primary education by introducing LKG and UKG classes in Anganwadi centers, a move that will make Karnataka the first state in India to implement such a program at this level. She noted that the state’s 70,000 Anganwadi centers are being developed in phases to improve infrastructure and services.

The new Anganwadi building, constructed through the collaboration of Udupi district administration, Udupi Zilla Panchayat, the Women and Child Development Department, and Kaup Taluk Panchayat, aims to provide better facilities for early childhood education and care. Hebbalkar also highlighted the state’s efforts to support Anganwadi workers, including a ₹1,000 honorarium increase in the last budget and recognition of 3,800 mini Anganwadi centers by the central government, the highest in the country.

The event was attended by Kaup MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, MLC Kishore Kumar, District Guarantee Scheme Implementation Committee President Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, Deputy Commissioner Swarupa T.K., Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal, Assistant Commissioner Rashmi, Tahsildar Dr. Prathiba, Taluk CEO James Dsilva, and other department officials.