NIPUN India Program:
To successfully implement the New Education Policy – 2020, the “NIPUN Bharat Programme” was launched on July 5, 2021. The literal meaning of NIPUN is – National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy. Its objective is to ensure universal acquisition of foundational literacy by the year 2026-27. The implementing agency for this programme is the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
Mission Objectives
- The objective of NIPUN Bharat is to cater to the learning needs of children aged 3 to 9 years.
- This initiative aims to ensure that every child in the country acquires foundational literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Grade 3 by 2026-27.
- To enable children to understand reasoning in the areas of numbers, measurement, and shapes, and to solve problems through numeracy and spatial understanding skills.
- To monitor the learning levels of all students.
- To inspire students towards creative education.
- To motivate children with an understanding of continuous reading and writing skills, and to enable proficiency in writing styles.
- To ensure an inclusive environment in the classroom by incorporating play, exploration, and activity-based pedagogy, linking children to daily life situations.
- To ensure the availability and effective use of high-quality teaching materials in children’s familiar/native languages.
- To focus on the continuous capacity building of teachers, principals, academic resource persons, and education administrators.
To actively engage all stakeholders, including teachers, parents, students, and policymakers, in building a strong foundation for lifelong learning. - To ensure assessment for learning through portfolios, group and collaborative work, project work, quizzes, role play, games, oral presentations, short tests, etc.
Key Features
- This mission will focus on providing access to children in the foundational years of school education and retaining them in school.
- Under the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha, a five-tier implementation mechanism will be established at the national, state, district, block, and school levels across all states and union territories.
- This includes foundational literacy and numeracy as well as technical aspects to effectively establish the implementation mechanism at national, state, district, block, and school levels.
- The success of NIPUN Bharat will primarily depend on teachers; therefore, special attention will be given to capacity building of teachers.
- A holistic progress card will reflect the overall development of the child by focusing on various areas of development such as physical development, socio-emotional development, literacy, numeracy development, cognitive development, life skills, etc.
- This programme aims to improve the school assessment system.
NIPUN Bharat will not only assist students in making significant progress in their higher grades but also have a substantial impact on their ability to compete globally. - Foundational skills enable students to stay in class and increase the transition rate from primary to upper primary and secondary school.
Under this, the quality of education will be improved through activity-based education and a joyful learning environment. - Innovative pedagogies such as toy-based and experiential education will be included in classroom interactions, making the learning process engaging.
- The NIPUN Bharat Programme envisages making the learning experience in the foundational stages comprehensive, integrated, inclusive, enjoyable, and attractive.
- It will also benefit socially and economically disadvantaged groups, thus ensuring equal and inclusive quality education.
- Foundational skills enable children to stay in class, which can reduce the number of dropouts and decrease the dropout rate from primary to upper primary and secondary levels.
- Education quality will be improved through activity-based learning and conducive learning environments.
- The child’s holistic development will be reflected in the progress card, focusing on various areas of interconnected and interdependent development such as physical and socio-emotional development, literacy and numeracy development, cognitive development, life skills, etc.
- Children will acquire the pace of learning, which can have a positive impact on their future outcomes and employability.
- Almost every child is enrolled in the primary grades, so focusing on this level will also benefit the socio-economically advantageous group, ensuring access to equitable and inclusive quality education.
- Thus, the NIPUN Bharat Programme is envisaged to support and encourage schools, teachers, parents, and communities, along with students, to acquire children’s real abilities in every possible way and help the country reach new heights.