To understand the mission, its implementation strategies, achievements and areas for improvement, The Hindu will host a webinar titled, ‘Nipun Bharat: Success or failure?’, on July 11, at 5:00 p.m. | Photo: iStock/ Getty Images
This July marked the fifth anniversary of the NIPUN Bharat Mission, which aims to attain foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade 3, by 2026-27. The goal is to ensure that 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 five crore children and 17 lakh teachers across six lakh schools. NIPUN earmarks ₹500/student per year for quality teaching-learning materials (TLMs) and ₹150/teacher for teacher resources and training.According to ASER 2024, between 2022 and 2024, there has been a 7-10% jump in reading and arithmetic. However, this still accounts to only 23.4% of Class 3 students in government schools who could read a Class 2-level text. The figure was at 16.3% in 2022 and 20.9% in 2018. In other words, 76.6% of Class 3 students still could not read a Class 2-level text, despite the assessment being conducted in 19 languages.Though there have been improvements, with a year left to attain its goal, there is still a huge margin to cover. To understand the mission, its implementation strategies, achievements and areas for improvement, The Hindu will host a webinar titled, ‘Nipun Bharat: Success or failure?’, on July 11, at 5:00 p.m.Register now for free to ask questions and interact with the panellists. The three best questions will receive a free online subscription to The Hindu.PanellistsKarthik Menon, Lead, Operations, Government Partnerships, PrathamKarthik Menon is an Economics postgraduate, co-heading Pratham Education Foundation’s measurement, monitoring, and evaluation team, with a special focus on engaging with Government partners and systems to ensure timely data absorption and action.Poornima Garg, Country Director, Room to Read IndiaPoornima Garg is the Country Director of Room to Read India, leading a multidisciplinary team of over 500 staff across the organisation’s intervention states. She joined Room to Read India in 2011 as People Operations Director, moved into the role of Deputy Country Director in 2019, and has since led the organisation’s operational transformation — including Room to Read India being recognised as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for nine consecutive years, and a ‘Great Place to Work for Women’ in 2022.Ishmeet Singh, CEO, Central Square FoundationIshmeet Singh is the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Square Foundation, leading the organisation’s work with state governments and ecosystem partners to strengthen foundational learning outcomes across India. Under his leadership, CSF has been closely involved in initiatives like ShikshaNext, a multi-partner, ₹170-crore effort (anchored by Reliance Foundation and the Gates Foundation, with CSF as Managing Partner) aimed at bringing EdTech and AI-enabled learning to over 13 million children by 2029.(For any feedback or suggestions, reach out to us at education@thehindu.co.in) Published - July 08, 2026 03:14 pm IST
