Mumbai: Over one million adults in Maharashtra have successfully cleared the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test conducted under the Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS)-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, officials said.
The nationwide programme, launched in April 2022 by the Union government under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aims to equip non-literate adults with basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills. The state implemented the scheme in October 2023.
According to data shared by the state education department on International Literacy Day, around 11,31,473 adults in Maharashtra appeared for two examinations held in March 2024 and March 2025 after completing basic education classes in nearby schools. In total, 12,41,296 adults have registered for the programme so far, making Maharashtra one of the top-performing states in terms of enrolment and participation.
The highest number of registered adult learners comes from Jalgaon district, with 89,533 registrations, followed by Mumbai, which recorded 25,902 candidates.
Teachers, school principals, and volunteers across the state have played a crucial role in implementing the scheme.
“Both teachers and students have shown keen interest and wholehearted participation. We are actively engaging in all the activities under this scheme – from awareness campaigns to participation in melavas. To create a culture of learning, we also introduced adult ‘learners’ and parents to our E-Library, where they explore books and listen to reading sessions. Last year, we successfully educated 24 parents and learners, and this year we are aiming to reach even more,” Jagdish Indalkar, principal of Sion’s Lion MP Butha High School, said.
Indalkar added that students from his school have started visiting learners’ homes to teach them at convenient hours, as many adult learners are daily wage workers who find it difficult to attend fixed-time classes.
Mahendra Ganpule, a member of the Maharashtra Principals’ Association, said, “Despite having regular duties, teachers across the state implemented the scheme very effectively, which has had a positive impact. In today’s world, everyone must have basic literacy to safeguard themselves from various frauds.” Ganpule also urged the government to provide better remuneration to teachers working under the scheme.
A senior education officer, requesting anonymity, described the initiative as a “national mission” and expressed confidence that Maharashtra would achieve its literacy targets soon.