What is NIPUN Bharat?

NIPUN Bharat (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) is the Government of India's national mission for foundational literacy and numeracy, launched in July 2021 under Samagra Shiksha. It aims to make sure every child reads with understanding and handles basic arithmetic by the end of Grade 3, with a national deadline of 2026-27.

What is the NIPUN Bharat deadline?

NIPUN Bharat's national deadline for universal foundational literacy and numeracy is the 2026-27 school year. An earlier, related target under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, universal FLN by 2025, has already passed unmet.

Did India meet its foundational literacy and numeracy target by 2025?

No. In 2024, 23.4% of Grade 3 government school children could read a Grade 2-level text, and 27.6% could do basic subtraction, both well short of NEP 2020's target of universal (100%) FLN by 2025.

Which Indian states perform best on foundational literacy?

Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest Grade 3 government school reading score in 2024, at 49.7%. Uttar Pradesh posted one of the largest gains of any state, rising from 16.4% to 27.9% between 2022 and 2024, helped by rising school attendance.

Which states have the lowest foundational literacy outcomes?

Telangana (6.8%), Jammu & Kashmir (6.7%), and Arunachal Pradesh (7.2%) recorded the lowest Grade 3 government school reading scores in 2024. Several southern states that usually perform well, including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, also scored well below the national average.

Are government schools or private schools recovering faster in foundational learning?

Government schools are recovering faster. Between 2022 and 2024, government school Grade 3 reading scores rose 7.1 percentage points, against a 2.4 percentage point rise in private schools. This is largely down to a sustained government push on FLN training and materials in government schools.