NIPUN Bharat Initiative

Union government is set to launch a new scheme called “NIPUN Bharat Initiative” on July 5, 2021. It will be launched to improve numeracy, foundational reading, and understanding for early-stage students.

About ‘NIPUN Bharat Mission’

• NIPUN stands for “National Initiative for Proficiency in reading with Understanding and Numeracy”.
• This scheme would provide an enabling environment in a bid to ensure universal acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy.
• It will ensure that every child achieves desired learning competencies in reading, writing, and numeracy by end of Grade 3, by the year 2026-27.
• This initiative will be a part of school education programme, Samagra Shiksha.

Which is the implementing agency?

NIPUN Bharat initiative will be implemented by school education department of Union government. In order to implement it, a five-tier implementation mechanism will be set up at national, state, district, block, and school levels across all states and Union territories.

Why this scheme was launched?

Foundational learning has been a drawback in Indian schools. As per Annual Status of Education Report (Aser) findings, for successive years bulk of Indian students pursuing elementary education in schools cannot even read, understand or do basic arithmetic. Thus, this initiative was launched to tackle this issue. This scheme is in line with new education policy.

ASER Findings 2020

• 25% of school-going children in four to eight age group do not have age-appropriate cognitive and numeracy skills. Thus, there is a huge learning deficit at very early stage.
• 4% of children below age of six are able to recognize at least letters.
• 6% can do additions.
• 8% of children in Class II can read a text of classes below them.
• 8% of students in Class III, can read texts meant for students two levels below them.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2021