Parliament Question: Progress of NIPUN Bharat Mission

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 135 ANSWERED ON – 09/02/2026 Progress of NIPUN Bharat Mission †*135. Shri Neeraj Maurya:

Shri Naba Charan Majhi:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the progress made so far under the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat Mission towards ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Class 3, along with its coverage and key learning outcome indicators State/District-wise especially in Aonla (Bareilly), Shajahanpur, Budaun and Jaunpur districts in Uttar Pradesh, Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, Hazaribagh and Ramgarh districts of Jharkhand and Machhlishahr Parliamentary Constituency of Uttar Pradesh including the State of Telangana and Rajasthan;

(b) the concrete measures taken by the Government for strengthening/capacity building of teachers, availability of quality teaching-learning materials and strengthening of evaluation frameworks to accelerate foundational skills in the above said districts including the State of Telangana;

(c) the details of digital/institutional mechanisms adopted for real-time monitoring of learning outcomes of students in various States and Union Territories including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh particularly in Dewas-Shajapur Constituency and the above said districts; and

(d) whether the Government proposes to provide additional educational support or technical incentives to backward areas/lagging regions especially the above said districts and Parliamentary Constituencies including Dewas-Shajapur Parliamentary Constituency of Madhya Pradesh and in the district of Telangana in achieving NIPUN Bharat targets and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 135 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026 ASKED BY HON’BLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT SHRI NEERAJ MAURYA AND SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI REGARDING “PROGRESS OF NIPUN BHARAT MISSION”

(a): 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. Financial norms for the following components are provided under the NBM including backward areas/lagging regions:

• Support to pre-school education/co-located anganwadi centers (recurring & non-recurring) • Teaching Learning Materials for implementation of Innovative pedagogies • Teacher Resource Material/Activity Handbook • Capacity building of Teachers of Grades I & II • Independent, periodic and holistic assessment of students • Formation of Project Management Unit (PMU) at state and district level Under the NBM, a range of systemic interventions have been undertaken and the following progress has been made across the country including the districts of Aonla

(Bareilly), Shajahanpur, Budaun and Jaunpur districts in Uttar Pradesh, Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, Hazaribagh and Ramgarh districts of Jharkhand and Machhlishahr Parliamentary Constituency of Uttar Pradesh including the State of Telangana and Rajasthan.

(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 appropriate learning 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 state-wise details are annexed.

(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.

(iii) 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-tosupport children, teachers, and parents. As envisaged in NEP 2020, these initiatives are an integral part of the foundational stage.

(iv) 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. The list of released primers in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh,

Rajasthan and Gujarat is tabulated below:

State Name of Primer Jharkhand Korwa, Kharia, Kurukh, Mundari, Bhumij, Santali (Hindi) Karnataka Kodava, Tulu, Kannada Telangana Telugu, Gondi-Telugu, Kolami-Telugu Rajasthan Bhili (Vasava), Bhili (Wagdi) Gujarat Gujarati, Bhili (Vasava) Madhya Pradesh Bhili (Vasava), Korku Uttar Pradesh Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit

(v) 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.

(vi) The DoSE&L and the MoWCD have jointly launched the “Guidelines for co-location of Anganwadi Centers with schools” on 03.09.2025. The guidelines have been shared with the States & UTs for effective implementation. As per UDISE+ 2024-25, out of 9,11,035 Government and Government-aided schools with Grade 1, more than 4.81 lakh schools (52.79%) have some form of preschool education facilities, either AWC or Balvatika or both.

(vii) The Government of India conducts periodic large-scale assessments to measure learning and education outcomes across the country. The National Achievement Survey

(NAS) was conducted in 2017 and again in 2021 to assess the learning levels of students in Grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 across language, mathematics, environmental studies, science and social science. The state/district-wise report cards are available in public domain and are

available at https://nas.gov.in/report-card.

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS), 2024 is conducted to evaluate the learning competencies/outcomes of students in FLN, Language and Mathematics at the end of each of the educational stages i.e. Foundational, Preparatory and Middle in Grades 3, 6 & 9. The latest PRS, 2024 was conducted on 4th December, 2024. The state/district-wise PRS 2024 report has been officially released in public domain on 2nd July, 2025. This can be accessed at

https://dashboard.parakh.ncert.gov.in/en.

PRS 2024 findings highlight a significant improvement in FLN skills outcomes, reflecting the positive impact of the NBM as envisioned in NEP 2020. It reflects that the performance of children in Grade 3 in rural school is better than urban schools and government schools have outperformed the private schools at foundational stage. The comparative picture for Grade-3 performance as compared to National Achievement Survey

(NAS), 2021 is tabulated below:Grade 3: Comparative Picture (India) (in %age) NAS, 2021 PRS, 2024 Language 62 64 Mathematics 57 60 Based on PRS, 2024, the Grade-3 performance for Bareilly (Aonla), Shajahanpur, Budaun and Jaunpur (Machhlishahr) districts in Uttar Pradesh, Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, Hazaribagh and Ramgarh districts of Jharkhand, Telangana and Rajasthan is:

State District %age Learning outcome, %age Learning outcome, Language (PRS, 2024) Mathematics (PRS, 2024) Uttar Bareilly (Aonla 71 67 Pradesh Parliamentary constituency) Shajahanpur 65 61 Budaun 64 61 Jaunpur 73 68 (Machhlishahr Parliamentary Constituency) Karnataka Dakshina Kannada 64 59 Jharkhand Hazaribagh 53 49 Ramgarh 56 54 Telangana All districts 58 54 Rajasthan All districts 70 66

(b): Pre-service teacher education programmes are regulated by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), with emphasis on teacher preparation for the foundational stage.

In this context, the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) has been introduced as a four-year integrated degree programme that prepares teachers for school education, including the foundational stage, by integrating child development, early childhood care and education

(ECCE), play-based and activity-based pedagogy, and FLN, along with early and continuous school internships. In addition, the 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.

(c): The Government of India has introduced the ‘Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR)’ as part of the academic framework to strengthen the monitoring of actual learning outcomes. This initiative is part of the ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ initiative in line with the NEP 2020, and serves as a unique, lifelong academic ID for every student. It records their academic journey from the foundational stage onwards, including academic achievements, co-curricular activities, skill development, assessments, and basichealth records. This digital system ensures continuity of learning, aids dropout recovery, and enables timely academic updates for parents, teachers, and institutions.

Further, APAAR is integrated with the Holistic Progress Card (HPC), which captures a 360-degree view of a student’s development through competency-based and formative assessment. HPC is a multidimensional report of progress, that reflects in detail the progress as well as the uniqueness of each learner in the cognitive, affective, socio-emotional, and psychomotor domains. It helps to map the status of each child's learning for FLN skills. The data from the HPC is linked to Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), a centralized data analytics platform that monitors student progress, identifies learning gaps, and supports targeted interventions. Together, APAAR, HPC, and VSK create a digital, data-driven ecosystem supporting digital transformation goals of NIPUN Bharat Mission, and the broader Samagra Shiksha initiative allowing continuous tracking of each student’s progress, ensuring accountability and improved learning outcomes across all stages of education.

Further, the Government of India conducts periodic large-scale assessments, to measure learning and education outcomes across the country, through PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan as mentioned in point (a) above.

(d): The NBM is implemented under the aegis of the Samagra Shiksha scheme. Bridging social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of the Samagra Shiksha scheme. The Scheme reaches out to children belonging to Socio- Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs). The scheme is implemented on principles of equity and universal access for all. Under Samagra Shiksha scheme, education is imparted with equitable access to the highest-quality education for all learners regardless of social or economic background. The states/UTs at their own level are also providing additional, contextual Teaching Learning Material. In Madhya Pradesh including Dewas-Shajapur Parliamentary Constituency, children’s notebooks and teacher guides have QR codes, including content and teaching techniques. Tablets have been provided to teachers. In Telangana, focussed interventions are introduced in low performing mandals and districts.

*****ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LSSQ NO. 135 ANSWERED ON 09/02/2026 REGARDING “PROGRESS OF NIPUN BHARAT MISSION” Details of Vidya Pravesh Programme for the years 2022-23, 2023-24 & 2024-25 No. of Schools Implemented Total Student covered S.No. State/UT 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 1 A and N Islands 305 308 308 1,962 2,305 2,445 2 Andhra Pradesh 49,847 38,950 35,036 18,76,989 6,03,949 2,42,882 3 Arunachal Pradesh 1,578 2,631 2,379 13,328 18,938 20,595 4 Assam 30,027 38,312 38,724 4,91,220 5,28,837 5,39,980 5 Bihar 65,920 67,657 65,309 20,00,000 15,23,411 12,95,231 6 Chandigarh 112 118 118 9,154 2,107 7,779 7 Chhattisgarh 21,735 30,925 31,560 2,59,165 3,19,918 3,19,918 8 DNH-DD 328 303 303 7,759 7,192 7,049 9 Delhi 2,714 1,622 2,645 4,18,105 1,36,318 1,23,459 10 Goa 1,000 1,007 1,008 18,212 17,253 17,253 11 Gujarat 31,878 32,030 32,701 6,75,494 1,12,048 6,15,037 12 Haryana 8,400 8,663 8,654 6,47,000 1,10,000 1,05,719 13 Himachal Pradesh 10,555 10,363 9,950 1,77,036 49,294 22,510 14 J&K 22,020 13,805 8,965 1,34,249 1,30,640 1,19,160 15 Jharkhand 34,457 36,626 36,626 13,00,000 5,52,263 5,70,745 16 Karnataka 42,672 42,255 42,656 16,18,021 4,61,514 3,71,017 17 Kerala - 8,021 9,395 - 2,58,141 2,46,656 18 Ladakh 666 717 738 4,645 1,972 2,121 19 Lakshadweep 27 27 27 1,067 1,009 1,028 20 Madhya Pradesh 63,397 79,480 79,215 8,07,276 7,09,841 14,94,199 21 Maharashtra 79,382 82,906 82,906 13,84,131 11,03,339 10,78,720 22 Manipur - 3,334 3,376 - 29,638 29,871 23 Meghalaya 330 - 2,624 6,185 - 32,512 24 Mizoram 1,282 1,255 1,266 21,662 17,455 51,135 25 Nagaland 114 1,764 1,449 3,926 14,705 13,002 26 Odisha 46,510 44,945 44,945 5,04,181 4,76,791 5,11,152 27 Puducherry 296 350 340 9,814 5,494 5,218 28 Punjab 12,827 13,160 12,862 2,05,669 2,02,625 1,75,524 29 Rajasthan 68,686 68,140 68,542 6,78,019 8,79,705 7,65,779 30 Sikkim - 767 764 - 3,070 3,064 31 Tamil Nadu 58,157 38,036 45,989 5,21,844 3,63,724 3,58,700 32 Telangana 29,428 24,144 24,144 2,19,427 1,93,988 1,93,988 33 Tripura 4,200 4,227 4,227 50,000 37,826 37,826 34 Uttar Pradesh 1,11,599 1,12,058 1,11,597 25,06,100 13,88,269 12,66,863 35 Uttarakhand 11,596 11,468 11,248 1,65,480 63,390 63,960 36 West Bengal 65,748 64,969 65,261 12,76,810 10,33,954 21,94,421 Total 8,77,793 8,85,902 8,87,857 1,80,13,930 1,13,60,923 1,29,06,518