In a sunlit anganwadi in Boraspet, Telangana, a worker played us a video she had created. Toddlers laughed and learned through playful routines she had designed herself. She didn’t have fancy tools—just belief in her children and pride in her work. And at a cluster meeting of 52 teachers in rural Telangana, when asked what success would look like, one responded calmly, “Today, 20% of our children have achieved foundational learning. We want to take that to 60%.” Not a complaint, not a demand—just quiet, persistent faith in progress.

These are not isolated incidents. They are signs of something bigger—an awakening. They reflect how the NEP 2020 has ignited a mindset shift across India’s education system. Far from being a routine policy document, it has become the quiet catalyst of change, reminding us all that real reform doesn’t always announce itself—it quietly takes root.

NEP 2020 was a turning point. Drawing from our ancient wisdom and modern pedagogy, the policy promised learning that is “experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, learner-centred, and, above all, enjoyable.” It set the stage for a wave of real political and administrative action.

Consider the political consensus it forged — a rare achievement in India’s diverse and divided polity. States across the spectrum from Uttar Pradesh to Telangana transformed schools. Mission Kayakalp in Uttar Pradesh upgraded over one lakh government schools, ensuring access to clean drinking water, separate toilets for girls, well-stocked libraries, and hot mid-day meals. In Telangana, Mana Ooru Mana Badi revitalised more than 26,000 schools with digital classrooms, electricity, and safe infrastructure. Classrooms were no longer just buildings — they became spaces of dignity and care.

The NEP also states: “The highest priority of the education system will be to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) in primary school by 2025. The rest of this policy will become relevant for our students only if this most basic learning requirement is first achieved.”

To achieve this, the NIPUN Bharat Mission was launched in 2021. With over ₹9,000 crores allocated so far, states were given both resources and autonomy to act.

And they did. Madhya Pradesh launched the NIPUN Professionals programme, placing young education fellows in every district. Assam created 146 multilingual teaching-learning materials to meet the needs of its diverse classrooms. Punjab conducted assessments of over 1.11 lakh students to guide targeted interventions and improve learning outcomes.

States also began using technology as an accelerator. Uttar Pradesh launched the NIPUN Lakshya app, helping mentors observe classrooms and assist teachers. Over 1.79 lakh classroom observations are recorded every year. Madhya Pradesh launched the Textbook Vitran Tracking App to ensure timely textbook delivery and address gaps proactively.

There are signs that foundational learning is beginning to turn into a mass movement. In Bihar, NIPUN gram sabhas are convened regularly to rally parents, community leaders, and guardians to support children’s learning. In Karnataka, panchayats help conduct village-level learning assessments. In Andhra Pradesh, panchayati raj institutions lead school mapping and organise volunteer-led reading sessions.

These are everyday revolutions that hide behind the scenes. According to the latest ASER report, India has made the biggest gains in foundational learning in two decades since NEP was introduced. These aren’t just learning gains — they’re economic lifelines.

UNESCO estimates that a 2% improvement in foundational literacy can raise Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth by 1.5%. Each year of schooling adds ₹7,697 to a child’s future monthly income. Universal FLN can cut extreme poverty in half.

Behind these numbers are people: teachers who adapt lessons to spark joy, parents who read with their children under dim lights, mentors who criss-cross villages to support educators. These quiet champions are laying the foundation of a stronger India — one child, one classroom, one community at a time.

The path ahead is crucial. We must not treat NIPUN Bharat as a one-time campaign with an expiry date, but as the bedrock of our nation’s economic and social future. We must extend its mandate, shield it from political cycles, and deepen its roots in every classroom and community. Because India’s real GDP in 2040 is being written today — in a small village school where a teacher turns learning into laughter, and a child, eyes wide with wonder, clutches a pencil and carefully traces the first letters of a future no one thought possible.

This article is authored by Dr IV Subba Rao, former IAS officer and senior advisor, CSF and Ashish Dhawan, founder-chairperson, Central Square Foundation, New Delhi.