Sri Vijaya Puram, July 28: The UT of A&N Islands have launched FLN missions in alignment with NIPUN Bharat, ensuring implementation of NEP goals at foundational stage. The NIPUN Bharat Mission (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) was launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India on 5th July 2021 under the umbrella of Samagra Shiksha. The mission aims to ensure that every child in India attains foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) by the end of Grade -3 by 2026–27. Keeping in view the objectives of the NIPUN Bharat Mission, the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands has undertaken several targeted initiatives to ensure that every child achieves foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade -3. Some of the key initiatives under Nipun Bharat and NEP 2020 are furnished below.
Jadui Pitara- A play-based Learning Teaching Material (LTM) kit introduced by NCERT under NEP 2020’s Foundational Stage curriculum (ages 3-8) distributed to all schools. Innovative child-centric resources like worksheets, activity books, and story-based content have enhanced the classroom engagement.
Vidya Pravesh- 3-month play-based school readiness programme developed by NCERT, aligned with NEP 2020’s vision for early childhood education and foundational learning implemented in all schools of A & N Islands.
Capacity Building of HoI and Teachers: In alignment with the goals of NEP 2020 and the NIPUN Bharat Mission, the Directorate of Education, A & N Islands, has prioritized and provides training for continuous professional development of Heads of Institutions (HoIs) and teachers. These efforts aim to enhance pedagogical practices, leadership competencies, and classroom effectiveness—ultimately ensuring that every child attains foundational literacy and numeracy and competency to achieve the desired goal.
Ankuran: A mission by State Institute of Education under Deptt. of Education, A&N Islands to strengthen FLN up to the middle stage. Aligned with #NEP2020 & #NCFSE2023, it bridges learning gaps, supports struggling learners & nurtures critical thinking and Building strong foundations for lifelong success.
ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education)- Aligned with the vision of NEP 2020 the UT of A&N Islands has implemented ECCE to ensure a strong foundation for lifelong learning and development. Through ECCE Balvatika classes in schools, monitoring and mentoring support, parental engagement activities, toy based and play based learning activities etc have been implemented throughout the UT.
Enrolment drive: The Directorate of Education spearheaded a comprehensive initiative to increase student enrolment in Government schools of South Andaman and Wimberlygunj Zone. Outreach activities like village visits, demo classes & enrolment melas were organized to enhance enrolment. As a result, 1782 new admissions have taken place during the session 2025-26 in Govt. schools of South Andaman and Wimberlygunj Zone.
Bagless Day: The innovative concept of 10 Bagless day for classes VI to VIII in alignment with NEP 2020 was introduced in all the schools of A & N Islands in the session 2024-25. This initiative aims to enhance and complement the learning experiences of students. The Bagless days create opportunities for students to engage in a variety of activities beyond conventional classroom setting.
Digital Integration: In accordance with the vision of NEP 2020 and the objectives of NIPUN Bharat, the Directorate of Education, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has actively embraced digital tools and platforms to enhance teaching-learning processes, improve foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) outcomes, and ensure equitable access to quality education, even in remote Islands through e-content, Video lessons etc. prepared by SIE and DIET.
BALA feature: In tune with the goals of NEP 2020 and the objectives of the NIPUN Bharat Mission, Government schools across the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have implemented BALA (Building As Learning Aid) as an innovative strategy to enhance foundational literacy and numeracy through visual, experiential, and environmental friendly learning.
Inclusive Education: Under the transformative vision of NEP 2020, A&N Islands prioritizes inclusive education, ensuring that all children—regardless of ability, background, or circumstance—receive equitable access to quality foundational learning. Further, Resource Centres are functional at educational blocks, as key enablers in strengthening the Inclusive Education. Braille classes also conducted during the summer vacation by SIE.
Navchetna: A new consciousness on life skills and Drug Education aligned with the National Educational Policy 2020 emphasizes the importance of Curriculum and pedagogical initiatives for holistic health, nutrition, physical education, fitness and wellness to create a healthier society. Under the initiative, 104 nodal teachers were trained from 38 CRC’s. Further the trained nodal teachers have imparted awareness session to 2623 teachers and the trained teachers conducted awareness program on drugs to 16352 students,6960 parent and 200 PRI’s.