Latest news with #NIPUNBharatMission
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
35k govt schools to be assessed under NIPUN campaigns in J'khand
1 2 Ranchi: The Jharkhand Education Project Council on Tuesday launched a state-wide campaign titled 'Mera Vidyalaya NIPUN and Main Bhi NIPUN' to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) outcomes among students in primary classes. The campaign targets around eight lakh students enrolled in Classes I to III across 35,000 govt schools in the state. In the first phase of the campaign, 1,056 schools were assessed from July 21 to 26. Master trainers (MTs) and resource persons carried out the evaluations using a dedicated online app, utilising school-provided tablets or personal smartphones. From August to December, the MTs conducted evaluations and certifications across their respective blocks and districts. Initial assessments began with schools that have at least two teachers, while single-teacher schools will be included later to allow them more time to prepare. Monthly data collection and reporting will be carried out at the district level to track progress. State programme officer for quality education, Abhinav Kumar, said, "The strategy for this campaign has been developed as a continuation of the NIPUN Bharat Mission and is focused on improving the learning outcomes in foundational grades." The campaign's objectives included structured efforts on various FLN components, evaluation of schools, assessment of progress in student learning, and recognition of high-performing schools and students.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Delhi Confidential: Rain Check
Continuing with the tradition of hosting a dinner for subordinates after the Commissionerate Day Parade, held on July 1, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora sent invites to Additional DCPs and Special CPs, asking them to bring their spouses along for the get-together on Friday evening. On Wednesday, he even visited the venue — the police officers' mess at Mother Teresa Crescent Road — which was recently renovated and gave directions to the organiser. A few hours later, he received multiple calls from the traffic control room informing him that the heavy showers late Wednesday evening led to waterlogging across the city. On Thursday morning, after checking the forecast for the coming days, the police chief postponed the dinner plan to a no-rain day. Anticipation over the election of new BJP national president is building following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return to Delhi after a five-nation tour, on Thursday morning. Insiders said party workers are keeping tabs on every possible hint or announcement even remotely related to a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board, the party's highest decision-making body, or any information about senior party leaders who are on the board visiting the city for deliberations. All eyes are on official and unofficial WhatsApp groups of party workers as well as on the social media handles of BJP leaders to guess the next move of the party leadership. After the Education Ministry released the results of a nationwide survey that assessed learning levels in class 3, 6 and 9, and shared these results with all states last week, a few states are learnt to have told the ministry that students could benefit from an extension of the Centre's NIPUN Bharat Mission up to class 5. The mission, which focuses on developing foundational literacy and numeracy, is currently meant for children up to class 3. The call from those states came after the assessment results pointed to a sharp drop in scores in class 6 compared to class 3.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Five years of NEP 2020: Time to take stock of NIPUN Bharat, India's largest foundational learning mission
This July marks the fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a reform effort aimed at transforming India's education system. Over the past five years, paradigms have shifted, AI has entered classrooms and leading global institutions have set up campuses in India. But away from the spotlight, a steady and strong change in our children's learning trajectory is unfolding—the story of India's NIPUN Bharat Mission. Launched in July 2021, NIPUN Bharat operationalised NEP's vision for foundational learning into a nationwide mission to ensure every child in India can read with understanding and do basic math by Grade 2. With ₹2,700 crore in annual funding, it now reaches over 5 crore children and 17 lakh teachers across 6 lakh schools making it the world's largest foundational learning programme and a global benchmark for what strong prioritisation and action for foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) for all children can and should look like. A significant contributor to the success of NIPUN is how the funding is designed. Nearly 80% of State school education budgets are usually tied up in teacher and staff salaries and infrastructure, leaving very little flexibility for spending on quality initiatives. NIPUN earmarks ₹500/student per year for quality teaching-learning materials (TLMs) and ₹150/teacher for teacher resources and training. States like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Assam have leveraged these funds to roll out teacher guides with structured lesson plans, student workbooks for both language and maths, and hands-on training that is helping change classroom transaction and practice—all aligned with their FLN goals. Funding under NIPUN Bharat Mission is also strengthening implementation at the district level. States are now empowered to set-up district units for tracking of student learning to review progress of state's FLN mission. In 2023-24 alone, over 4 lakh spot assessments across Grades 1 to 3 were conducted by Academic Resource Persons in Uttar Pradesh, while Odisha's Cluster Resource Coordinators made 57,000 classroom visits to mentor teachers. The question on everyone's mind is whether the design and large scale deployment of NIPUN state missions has had a positive impact on student learning? The early evidence is showing positive results. State-run large-scale annual student assessments are showing positive trends in FLN competencies. In Madhya Pradesh, for example, the percentage of students who were NIPUN-competent in oral reading fluency went up by 10 percentage points between 2023 and 2024. Nationally, ASER 2024 recorded the strongest early learning gains in over two decades with the percentage of Grade 3 students proficient in literacy and numeracy increasing by 7 percentage points between 2022 and 2024. Looking ahead As India looks ahead to build on these early green shoots of progress under NIPUN, we need a bolder roadmap for sustained impact at scale. First, extending NIPUN Bharat for another five years, beyond its current deadline of 2027 will help India get the necessary runway to ensure early signs of impact grow strong roots for sustained learning gains. Nearly 100% of allocated funds to states are being utilised, showing clear evidence of demand and momentum. What's needed now is continuity. Second, NIPUN can be expanded to cover the foundational stage starting from Balvatika/Kindergarten for 5-year-olds to Grade 5. A full year Balvatika in schools will give our children the necessary preparedness to start their grade 1 learning journey. Support in Grade 3 to 5 will ensure year on year learning gains are sustained for successful onward learning journeys in middle school and high school. Third, district-level FLN units can be strengthened with continued funding and strong accountability through state reviews. Districts have been the critical link for deployment of state programmes across all schools and classrooms in the state. Hence setting up district level FLN units will ensure high fidelity implementation of the state's FLN mission leading to all children learning. Fourth, the health of our education system can be regularly assessed by institutionalising annual system level diagnostics like the 2022 Foundational Learning Study which was an oral assessment. Such assessments will help benchmark progress, identify learning deficits early, and inform timely interventions so that every child achieves FLN competencies. Finally, build political and community ownership. Strong political sponsorship of NIPUN will ensure momentum from NEP and NIPUN Bharat is sustained through to NIPUN 2.0. India's social change campaigns like Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao gained momentum through widespread community engagement and strong political ownership. Community ownership for NIPUN can involve panchayats organising NIPUN Gram Sabhas to spread awareness about the mission, materials being distributed by schools to parents for at-home learning, and local leaders celebrating learning milestones of students. Given that our vision of a Viksit Bharat rests on realising the full potential of our young population, FLN warrants similar visibility. The last four years have shown what's possible when the system puts learning first. As Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam once said, 'Learning gives creativity, creativity leads to thinking, thinking provides knowledge, and knowledge makes you great.' In many ways, NIPUN Bharat has laid out the foundational tracks for this journey for all our children. What's needed now is to sustain and strengthen this momentum. (Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja is the CEO & MD, Central Square Foundation. Romonika D. Sharan is a Senior Retd. Bureaucrat and Project Director, Policy & Communications, Central Square Foundation)
Time of India
23-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
NIPUN Bharat mission introduces reward system to improve foundational learning
1 2 3 Prayagraj: In a significant push to improve foundational literacy and numeracy among young learners, the NIPUN Bharat Mission is being implemented with renewed vigour in the basic schools of Prayagraj. As part of this initiative, the education department has introduced a reward-based system to motivate teachers and schools to achieve defined learning outcomes. Teachers who successfully meet the NIPUN goals—set for students from Bal Vatika (pre-primary) to Class 2—within the given timeline will be honoured with the title of 'NIPUN Champion Head Master of the District'. The state has set a target to select 400 such exemplary teachers from across Uttar Pradesh. These selected teachers will not only receive a cash reward of Rs 25,000 but will also be offered educational tours to different states, helping them gain broader exposure and enhance their teaching skills. In addition, they will be provided with specialised training modules to further develop their professional competencies. According to Debvart Singh, the in-charge Basic Shiksha Adhikari, once students enrolled in a school attain the expected competencies as per the NIPUN goals, the headmaster, in consultation with other teachers, will register the school for evaluation on the Prerna Portal. This step will be followed by detailed instructions issued by the state project director of 'Samagra Shiksha'. The evaluation process will be carried out under guidance of DIET (District Institute of Education and Training) principals, assisted by Academic Resource Persons (ARPs) and DIET mentors from other development blocks. Critical data, such as student enrolment from Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) and attendance records from Prerna Portal's digital registers, will be used in the assessment process. Once the DIET principal confirms the school's status as 'NIPUN', a 100% student evaluation will be conducted by DElEd trainees under the supervision of the State Project Office and SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training). The assessment will utilise transparent IT-enabled systems to ensure accuracy and fairness. This rigorous and structured approach is expected to not only uplift educational standards but also inspire a culture of performance, recognition, and continuous improvement in primary education across Prayagraj and beyond.
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
From massaging grandparents' feet to discussing contemporary topics: a unique summer homework for Haryana Govt school students
During their month-long summer vacation starting June 1, students from classes 1 to 5 in Haryana government schools will engage in assignments instead of conventional homework. And, instead of school teachers, parents will evaluate their children's performance based on engagement in these activities. According to officials, this year, traditional homework has been replaced with experiential learning, encouraging students to connect with their families and actively participate in domestic tasks. These will include massaging their grandparents' feet, listening to their stories, and contributing to household responsibilities. Officials said the approach aims to foster familial bonds, respect for elders, and hands-on learning, making summer vacations more enriching and enjoyable. Pramod Kumar, State Programme Officer, NIPUN, told The Indian Express Thursday, 'For decades, teachers have assigned homework focused on handwriting improvement and various project works. However, this time, students from classes 1 to 5 will engage in activities that align with their natural interests, contribute to household responsibilities, strengthen family connections, and show respect for their elders.' Haryana NIPUN is a state-level initiative launched in 2021 to align with the Central government's NIPUN Bharat Mission, aiming to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy in both Hindi and English for all children. 'Summer vacations are meant to be enjoyable for children. We have designed a special curriculum that enables them to learn and contribute meaningfully while having fun. They will be encouraged to sing traditional songs, listen to stories from their elders, and discuss contemporary topics, ranging from recent events like Operation Sindoor to everyday subjects such as the rising prices of gold,' Kumar added. The Haryana School Education Department has already provided teachers with a detailed outline regarding the summer vacation programme. Parents will be invited to visit schools in July to share their children's performance in these activities with teachers. 'For evaluation purposes, parents will observe their child's engagement in activities for 72 hours during the vacation period, grading them based on participation, effort, creativity, and learning. Simple tasks like neatly arranging bedsheets, pillows, and blankets after waking up will also be considered. This approach fosters parent-child interaction and promotes shared responsibility in the learning process,' said Kumar. He said this new plan replaces the conventional, monotonous homework with a more engaging, experiential, and joyful learning framework. He added as it is designed to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy in a practical, contextual manner, the holiday homework shifts the focus from rote memorisation to meaningful, hands-on, and reflective learning experiences. From June 1 to June 30, children will engage in activities aligned with their interests, hobbies, and natural surroundings. These tasks will include conserving electricity and water, observing plant growth, tracking weather changes such as rainfall and temperature, and familiarising themselves with digital tools like Google Pay, Paytm, Google Maps, and Duolingo. Additionally, they will be encouraged to mark days on calendars, explore regional languages such as Haryanvi and Punjabi, and participate in traditional games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, and Antakshari. Officials said watching sunrises, moon phases, and stars will spark curiosity, while crafting toys and learning about natural cycles will foster a deeper, more joyful connection with science, the environment, and creativity — all seamlessly integrated with foundational learning objectives. Children's summer assignments will include civic and academic engagements, such as memorising Aadhaar and family phone numbers, learning the names of national and local leaders — including the Prime Minister, President, Chief Minister, MPs, and MLAs — and integrating core subjects like Mathematics, English, Hindi, Environmental Science, and Social Studies into their learning. Sukhbir Siwach's extensive and in-depth coverage of farmer agitation against three farm laws during 2020-21 drew widespread attention. ... Read More
