Patna: Five years after launching the Nipun (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Bharat Mission, the state govt is preparing to extend the programme from 2027 to 2031 and expand its coverage up to Grade V, as a recent learning survey showed that while foundational literacy and numeracy have improved, many children continue to struggle with reading comprehension and two-digit arithmetic.According to officials, budgetary approvals for the expansion have been completed, though an official notification is yet to be issued and is expected by Sept this year.The Bihar State Midline Achievement Survey 2025, conducted among more than 13,000 Grade II students for literacy and over 11,000 for numeracy across 1,602 schools, found that the proportion of children reading more than 30 words per minute rose from 27% in the 2022 baseline survey to 42% in 2025 — the largest improvement recorded under the mission. Word-writing skills improved by nine percentage points, while one-digit addition and subtraction showed modest gains.Despite these improvements, foundational learning gaps remain. Only 38% of students could answer at least half of the reading comprehension questions correctly, while 45% failed to answer even a single question based on a passage. Nearly 29% could not read a single word correctly in a minute.“The mission has succeeded in bringing early literacy and numeracy into focus in Grade II, which is a significant achievement. But foundational support cannot stop there. Continuous handholding is necessary for children to build on these basics,” said Kamal Nath Jha, a senior member of the Bihar Nipun State Project Management Unit.The survey also revealed weaknesses in mathematics. While 79% of students could solve one-digit addition problems, performance declined sharply in two-digit operations. About 30% could not solve even one two-digit addition problem and 37% failed to solve a single two-digit subtraction problem.According to Jha, the next phase of the mission must address systemic challenges rather than simply expand coverage. “Reading fluency has improved, but many children still do not understand what they read. The focus now has to shift from fluency to meaningful learning outcomes,” he said.He stressed the need for regular classroom observations and stronger teacher feedback mechanisms, noting that teacher-led assessments are often treated as a compliance exercise rather than a tool to improve classroom practices. “Assessment data should guide teaching, but improvements linked to learning outcomes are not consistently visible,” he said.Jha also highlighted social factors affecting learning. A large proportion of students are first-generation learners whose parents are often unable to support education at home. “Many children lack a dedicated study space, homework support or an enabling learning environment. In such circumstances, peer learning and continuous academic engagement become even more important,” he said.
