The Success of the NIPUN Bharat Scheme: A Case Study on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in India

The NIPUN Bharat Mission, launched in July 2021 under India’s Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, aims to ensure foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) for all children by the end of Grade 3 by 2026–27, according to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This study conducts a qualitative case study analysis of the mission’s implementation in three Indian states, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Assam, to evaluate its effectiveness, identify challenges, and propose strategies for improvement. Online interviews with teachers, administrators, and parents and document review were used in the study to uncover significant differences in implementation. Tamil Nadu’s decentralized, context-sensitive approach, incorporating local language and culture, yielded notable improvements in FLN outcomes, with 70% of Grade 3 students demonstrating proficiency in reading and basic arithmetic. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh’s standardized model, while scalable, lacked flexibility, and Assam faced systemic constraints such as teacher shortages and language barriers, particularly for tribal communities. Key challenges include inadequate post-training teacher support, superficial monitoring systems, and infrastructural deficits. The study recommends localized curriculum adaptation, sustained teacher mentoring, inclusive pedagogies, and enhanced community engagement to strengthen the mission’s impact. These findings contribute to the discourse on educational equity and provide actionable insights for scaling FLN interventions across India’s diverse educational landscape.