Parliament Question: Extension of Implementation of NIPUN Bharat Scheme

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-4948 ANSWERED ON-23/03/2026 Extension of Implementation of NIPUN Bharat Scheme 4948. Shri Naveen Jindal: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) the details of changes made in schools teaching pattern to implement National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat format of teaching in the country; (b) the extent of implementation of NIPUN Bharat scheme across the country; and (c) the details of progress made so far in regard to implementation of NIPUN Bharat initiative in terms of achieving the initiative's goals and objectives? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (c): The Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education (MoE) has launched a National Mission called “National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat Mission (NBM))” on 5th July, 2021 for ensuring that every child in the country necessarily attains foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) by the end of Grade 2. This Mission aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has been set up under the aegis of the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha- an integrated scheme for School Education. Under Samagra Shiksha, all 36 States/Union Territories are implementing the NBM. Under the NBM, a range of systemic interventions have been undertaken and the following progress has been made across the country: (i) A 3-months play based ‘School Preparation Module and Guidelines’ for Grade I named ‘Vidya Pravesh’ was launched on 29th July, 2021. The goal of Vidya Pravesh programme is to promote school preparedness in all children coming to Grade-I from diverse backgrounds (Balvatika, Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), at home, private play schools etc.), to ensure a smooth transition of children to Grade-I. It provides play based, age and developmentally appropriatelearning experiences in a joyful and stimulating environment leading to holistic development to bolster a child’s pre-literacy, pre-numeracy, cognitive and social skills. This programme is being implemented across the country. From 2022-23 till date, over 4.2 crore students in around 8.9 lakh schools have benefitted. The Vidya Pravesh Programme is a new initiative so that the children are school ready. (ii) To improve the learning outcomes at foundational stage, the National Curricular Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) was released on 20th October, 2022 providing a structure for the syllabus, training of teachers, Learning Teaching Material (LTM), etc. The NEP, 2020 recommends a toy based pedagogy for FLN for joyful learning. The various LTMs being used for the same are as under: • The Jaadui Pitara (JP), a set of 53 play-based learning-teaching materials for ages 3-8 was launched on 20th February 2023. Available in 22 Indian languages, JP includes toys, puzzles, story cards, flashcards, and teacher handbooks. Its digital extension, the e- Jaadui Pitara, launched on 10th February 2024, offers multilingual stories, activities, songs in 22 Indian languages, and AI-based bots-Katha Sakhi, Teacher Tara, and Parent Tara-to support children, teachers, and parents. As envisaged in NEP 2020, these initiatives are an integral part of the foundational stage. • Primers (launched in March, 2024) have been developed in 121 local and tribal languages for FLN in mother tongues spoken by populations of at least 10,000. (iii) Lakshyas or Targets for FLN starting from the Balvatika-3 upto Grade-2, based on the learning outcomes have been developed on the basis of national and international research. (iv) The Government of India conducts periodic large-scale assessments, to measure learning and education outcomes across the country, through PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) Rashtriya Sarvekshan, which is conducted by National Assessment Centre, PARAKH under the aegis of the Ministry of Education. The primary objective of this survey is to evaluate the learning competencies of students at the end of each of the educational stages i.e. Foundational, Preparatory, and Middle. The latest PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan was conducted on December 4, 2024. A comparative analysis of State-wise average scores at foundational stage during National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 and PRS 2024 reflects the depth and impact of NIPUN Bharat Mission. There is an improvement in learning achievements of the students in Grade 3 survey results, respectively reflecting the success of NIPUN Bharat Mission across the country. It also shows that the performance of children in Grade 3 in rural and government schools isbetter than urban and private schools, indicating clear improvement in learning outcomes from previous survey. This can be accessed at https://dashboard.parakh.ncert.gov.in/en. The Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L) has launched a national initiative to improve learning outcomes through an integrated teacher training programme called the National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) under Samagra Shiksha. NISHTHA supports large-scale in-service teacher capacity building and includes training modules for primary teachers focusing on pedagogy, FLN, inclusive education and classroom practices, and is implemented in coordination with the States and Union Territories through face-to-face and online modes. More than 15.57 lakh users including pre-primary teachers, master trainers and Anganwadi Workers have completed NISHTHA online training program for FLN & ECCE. Besides, these states are also conducting physical trainings of teachers at State level. Further, Government has introduced the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), regulated by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), in order to improve the quality of teachers, especially for young children at the foundational stage. It is a four-year integrated course that prepares future teachers in a comprehensive way. It combines studies on child development, early childhood care and education (ECCE), and modern teaching methods like play-based and activity-based learning. It focuses on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), which are essential skills for early education. ***********