India, March 20 -- Reforming one of the world's largest and most diverse education systems would not have been possible without the pivotal unveiling of India's child-centred, ambitious and futuristic National Education Policy 2020. Its central objective is equipping every child with the skills to build an Atmanirbhar, Viksit Bharat. And at the heart of this vision lies the single most critical skill: Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN).

While India's education system has made remarkable strides in expanding access through almost universal enrolment in primary level, ensuring equity, strengthening infrastructure, and a growing number of teachers joining the workforce, these clear indicators of educational access have proven to be in...