In large-scale education reforms, pivotal moments — such as the one scripted by the recently released PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) 2024 — are rare. It shows that sustained investment in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) through the NIPUN Bharat Mission is generating the desired results. Children in early grades are learning and achieving better and closing the long-standing gaps between government and private schools, and between rural and urban India. The imperative now is to stay the course and translate these gains into lasting change.
Covering over 20 lakh students across 74,000+ schools in 781 districts across 36 states/Union Territories, the survey offers one of the most detailed snapshots of how children learn across the country. It provides an opportunity to look beyond just averages to action, especially in building a more equitable and responsive education system.
One of the major highlights of the report has been the strong performance of Class III students, who have benefited from four years of NIPUN Bharat. The most striking gains emerged at the foundational level, in which 67 per cent of students were proficient or above in Language and 64 per cent in Mathematics, according to Item Response Theory (IRT) scores. These figures mark a sharp increase from 2021, when only 39 per cent and 42 per cent of students demonstrated similar proficiency in Language and Maths, respectively. Also significant is that state government school students in Class III are performing at par with or even better than private school students. However, this parity fades in higher grades, with Class VI and IX private school students scoring 8-11 percentage points higher in Language and six points higher in Mathematics. A similar pattern plays out between rural and urban schools.
What explains the strong performance of Class III students? More importantly, how can we sustain and build on it? Four key pillars emerge from the top-performing states in PRS 2024.
First, political ownership combined with academic clarity unlocks change at scale. In states like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, chief ministers have actively championed the state’s FLN missions. In addition, state education departments have committed to class-wise learning goals called NIPUN Lakshyas, which have been embedded into the regular reviews from school to state level, making learning defined, competency-driven and visible.
Second, when classroom instruction is supported with structured tools, learning becomes more consistent. UP equipped every teacher with a guide, mapping daily lessons to class-wise competencies. Odisha implemented a 28-week structured pedagogy calendar and ensured teaching learning materials reached 99 per cent classrooms at the start of the academic year. These materials ensured all teachers and classrooms had the resources to achieve these Lakshyas.
Third, backing learning tools with effective training and mentoring ensures effective classroom practice. In Punjab, the SCERT created a comprehensive cascaded training module for 110 state-level master trainers and 1,000 district and block resource persons on the new materials, while Odisha has invested in hybrid and multilingual training content. All states are leveraging their relevant layers of district, block and cluster resource persons to visit classrooms and support teachers to put learnings from these experiential training into their classroom practice.
Fourth, integrating assessment and monitoring into everyday classroom management and governance improves accountability and instruction. All top-performing states have institutionalised state-level FLN assessments, with some even using mobile apps to capture results. These assessments cover formative assessments, which help teachers assess student progress, to summative assessments, which feed into review dashboards. When aligned with academic reviews, these tools are shifting the role of data from backend reporting to front-line problem-solving.
These gains now need to be sustained and consolidated. Top-performing states show that long-term commitment is key. Punjab has been pursuing foundational learning since 2008. Madhya Pradesh and UP began their FLN work in 2019. Replicating such long-term commitment at a national level can help achieve similar gains.
Equally important is building continuity across early years. Many high-performing states across Class III, VI and IX — such as Himachal Pradesh and Punjab — have a strong track record in early childhood education. Aligning curriculum, teacher preparation, and pedagogy from pre-primary to Class II can ensure children enter Class I school-ready. At the other end, expanding NIPUN Bharat to cover Class III to V can help carry forward early gains. These are critical transitional years when children begin applying foundational skills to subjects like science and math. Focused investments in this transition phase can bridge learning gaps and ensure students continue progressing with confidence.
Forward expansion can be further strengthened through technology-enabled learning, training, and assessments. Platforms like PM e-VIDYA and DIKSHA offer students access to digital content for reinforcement and remediation. For teachers, these platforms serve as ongoing professional development hubs. Programmes like NISHTHA help teachers learn how to assess students better and track their progress using clear learning goals and tools.
As these tools help improve teaching and learning within classrooms, it is equally important to strengthen the system’s capacity to monitor progress across schools and deepen community participation. States can advance the NEP’s recommendation to establish independent State School Standards Authorities (SSSAs). These autonomous bodies can enhance trust through transparent oversight of both public and private schools by extending the sample-based approach of PRS to census-based school-wise reporting to provide a full picture of learning across schools. When shared as simple school report cards, this data can empower parents with meaningful information and foster shared accountability between schools, families, and administrators.
Finally, for these reforms to reach their full potential, they must move beyond the education department. Just as Swachh Bharat turned sanitation into a Jan Andolan, foundational learning too can become a people’s movement. PRS 2024 shows that local leaders like gram pradhans and ward parshads are already engaged in school improvement efforts. This momentum can grow through partnerships with NGOs, and CSR initiatives at the district level. When institutions and communities are equipped with clear information on school performance and learning outcomes, they are more likely to unite around the shared goal of improving education.
We now have clear evidence that focused investments can drive real gains in learning and equity. Yet, building an inclusive, competency-based, and future-ready education system requires sustained commitment and continuous reflection. From the visionary blueprint of NEP 2020 to national assessments like PRS that help us stay accountable, India has laid a strong foundation, brick by brick. The next phase won’t just be another brick in the wall, but the very foundation of a Viksit Bharat.
Bhaduri is the CEO & Head, PARAKH. Sharma-Kukreja is CEO & MD, Central Square Foundation
