NIPUN Bharat Programme

The NIPUN Bharat Programme was launched by the Union Minister for Education, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal on July 5th, 2021. 

The full form of NIPUN Bharat Programme is the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy Bharat Programme. It has been launched under the aegis of the centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha Scheme.

Since the NIPUN Bharat Mission has been in the news recently, it is very important for the current affairs section of various competitive exams and the Mains GS-I, GS-II and Essay part of the IAS exam.

NIPUN Bharat Mission – Overview

1. The initiative NIPUN Bharat has been launched as a part of New Educational Policy NEP 2020.
2. The NIPUN Bharat Programme aims to cover the learning needs of children in the age group of 3 to 9 years.
3. NIPUN Bharat is envisaged to support and encourage students, along with their schools, teachers, parents, and communities, in every way possible, to help realise the true potential of our children and propel the country to new heights.
4. Target of the programme is to ensure that every child in the country attains foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade 3, by 2026-27.
5. The goals of the Mission are set in the form of Lakshya Soochi or Targets for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
   • Lakshyas have been developed from Balvatika to Grade 3.
   • The Lakshyas are based on the learning outcomes developed by the NCERT and international research and ORF studies.

Interested aspirants can also read about the latest findings of the Annual Status of Education Report ASER Survey in the linked article. 

Programme Implementation – 

• It will be implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy.
• Under the aegis of the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha a five-tier implementation mechanism will be set up at the National- State- District- Block- School level in all States and UTs.

• The success of NIPUN Bharat will primarily depend on teachers, so, there will be a special emphasis on capacity building of teachers. With this in mind. A special package for foundational literacy and Numeracy (FLN) is being developed by NCERT under NISHTHA Scheme, the National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement.
  • Around 25 lakh teachers teaching at pre-primary to primary grade will be trained on FLN in 2021.

Aspirants can know about the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), another government initiative towards education.

Focus Area of NIPUN Bharat Mission

1. NIPUN Bharat envisages making the experience of learning at the foundational stage Holistic, Integrated, Inclusive, Enjoyable, and Engaging.
2. The focus of the programme is on providing access and retaining children in foundational years of schooling; development of high quality and diversified Student and Teacher Resources and Learning Materials; teacher capacity building; and tracking the progress of each child in achieving learning outcomes.
   • To support and encourage students, along with their schools, teachers, parents, and communities, in every way possible, to help realise the true potential of children and propel the country to new heights.

Read more about Right to Education ACT RTE on the given link. 

Expected Benefits of NIPUN Bharat Mission 

• Holistic development of the child by focusing on different domains of development like physical and motor development, socio-emotional development, literacy and numeracy development, cognitive development, life skills etc. which are interrelated and interdependent, which will be reflected in a Holistic Progress Card.

Read more about the STARS Project on the given link. STARTS stands for Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States. The programme aims at improving the assessment system in schools and ensuring equal education for all.

• NIPUN Bharat will not only help our students to take a big leap in their higher classes, but it will also have a major impact in making our students globally competitive.
• Foundational skills enable us to keep children in class thereby reducing the dropouts and improve the transition rate from primary to upper primary and secondary stages.
• Activity based learning and a conducive learning environment will improve the quality of education.
• Innovative pedagogies will be used in classroom transactions such as toy-based and experiential learning thereby making learning a joyful and engaging activity.
• Intensive capacity building of teachers will make them empowered and provide greater autonomy for choosing the pedagogy.
• Children to achieve a steeper learning trajectory which may have positive impacts on later life outcomes and employment.
• Since almost every child attends early grades, therefore, focus at that stage will also benefit the socio-economic disadvantageous group thus ensuring access to equitable and inclusive quality education.

Read more on Digital Education in India on the link provided here.

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