This brief examines India’s foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) landscape in the context of SDG 4 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It focuses on the findings of the 2024 report of the national assessment regulatory body, PARAKH, released in July 2025. The results highlight three conclusions: (a) despite some post-pandemic recovery, FLN levels have not improved beyond the 2017 scores; (b) PARAKH records share intra- and interstate disparities, building a case for strengthening local governance capacities; and (c) rural government schools surpassed urban-private schools in several states, suggesting that the NIPUN Bharat Mission’s targeted interventions may be working, while urban strategies lag. The brief urges the states to adopt micro-planning and robust, real-time data systems to close entrenched learning gaps, positioning integrated monitoring as essential.
India is committed to ensuring equitable and quality education for all, based on the principles of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). This has been reiterated in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which outlines goals such as universal foundational literacy and numeracy, learner-centred pedagogy, reforms in teacher training, and leveraging technology to narrow learning gaps.
As part of the implementation of the NEP, India has ushered in large-scale reforms in the last five years, such as the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 and the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat Mission. Launched by the Ministry of Education in 2021, NIPUN is a flagship mission targeting universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills by the academic year 2026–27. The mission is implemented through a five-tier national, state, district, block, and school-level architecture to ensure accountability, regular monitoring, and alignment with local needs. It combines a comprehensive strategy of teacher capacity building, development of learner-friendly materials, periodic learning assessments, community engagement, and leveraging technology to track and improve learning outcomes.
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{{/usCountry}}This paper is authored by Arpan Tulsyan and Ishika Ranjan, ORF, New Delhi.