Lok Sabha Question No. 4948 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Extension of Implementation of NIPUN Bharat Scheme
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Naveen Jindal

## 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 5 th 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 29 th 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 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 20 th 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 20 th February 2023. Available in 22 Indian languages, JP includes toys, puzzles, story  cards,  flashcards,  and  teacher  handbooks.  Its  digital  extension,  the eJaadui Pitara , launched on 10 th February 2024, offers multilingual stories, activities, songs in 22 Indian languages, and AI-based botsKatha 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 is better 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.

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