01 April 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1. NEP 2020 in the classroom, from policy to practice

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 8)

FLN as a National Priority

• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has emphasized Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) as an urgent mission.
• The goal is to ensure that every child acquires FLN by Class 2, at the end of the foundational stage (ages 3-8).
• Central and State governments have made significant efforts to implement programs to achieve this goal.

Implementation in Schools

• The ASER 2024 survey found that over 80% of 15,728 surveyed rural schools received government directives to implement FLN activities in Classes 1-3.
• More than 75% of these schools had at least one teacher who received in-person FLN training.

Awareness and Acceptance Among Teachers

• Observations in eight States showed that teachers understood the importance of FLN and mostly approved of the initiative.
• Changes requiring attitude shifts were visible, but practical implementation varied based on local conditions.
• Teachers faced different challenges depending on classroom sizes, student diversity, and space availability.
• Many teachers lacked opportunities to discuss and address these challenges in training workshops.

Need for Teacher Support

• Post-training support for teachers varied across States.
• Some teachers had no support, while others could consult trainers when needed.
• In some cases, monitoring visits focused more on data collection than classroom learning.
• A few teachers received hands-on demonstrations from officials on implementing FLN activities.

Challenges with Teaching-Learning Materials (TLM)

• Teachers understood the importance of using TLM, but most used them in a demonstration mode rather than letting students interact with them.
• Teachers faced difficulties in making, storing, or using TLM effectively.
• Those given funds to create their own TLM worried about them getting damaged.

Issue of Syllabus Completion

• Teachers prioritized syllabus completion over adapting teaching to FLN needs.
• Assessments were conducted in traditional formats, with little use of FLN assessment results for classroom improvements.
• There is a need to balance syllabus completion with FLN goals.

Conclusion

• The NIPUN Bharat initiative has brought greater visibility to FLN in schools.
• For the first time in 20 years, ASER data showed an improvement in foundational learning levels, mainly in government schools.
• Sustained efforts are needed to ensure all children acquire essential literacy and numeracy skills. 

2. Thinking beyond population count

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 9)

Delimitation and Financial Devolution

• The issue is linked to India’s federal structure and the demographic divide between different regions.
• The constitutional freeze on the number of parliamentary seats is set to expire in 2026, raising concerns about political representation.

Historical Background of Delimitation

• Between 1951 and 1971, Lok Sabha seats were increased in proportion to population growth.
• The population representation per seat rose from 7.3 lakh in 1951 to 10.1 lakh in 1971.
• The current freeze on Lok Sabha seats has been in place since 1971 and extends until 2026.
• Based on projected population trends, India may require around 753 seats, with each seat representing 20 lakh people.

Concerns of Political Representation

• The representation of peninsular States may decrease compared to northern States due to demographic changes.
• The 15th Finance Commission addressed this issue by considering 2011 population data instead of 1971 data for devolution.
• A weightage for demographic performance was introduced, balancing states with different population trends.
• There is a need to move beyond population size as the sole factor in political representation and financial devolution.

Challenges in Delimitation

• Some argue that southern States will not lose seats, while northern States will gain.
• The question remains whether each seat should have an average of 20 lakh people, and how to distribute seats fairly.
• A possible approach is using population density instead of absolute population size.
• The northeast follows this approach, with smaller populations getting fair representation due to higher population density.

Need for a Balanced Approach

• Maintaining fairness may require increasing the total number of seats while ensuring balanced regional distribution.
• The characteristics and composition of the population must be considered, not just raw numbers.
• Gender and caste-based reservations also play a role in seat allocation and need careful planning.

Demographic Perspective on Representation

• Population-based standardization often overlooks differences in regional needs and entitlements.
• A per-capita approach alone may not ensure fair allocation of representation and financial resources.
• A demographic outlook, considering all population characteristics, is essential to resolving these debates. 

Read more- 28 March 2025 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis