Central Square Foundation

The National Education Policy (#NEP2020) suggests a critical shift in how assessments are looked at in the #education system - it talks about 'assessment for learning' rather than just 'assessment of learning'. Catch this exclusive conversation with Dr Parmod Kumar (State Programme Officer, @nipunharyana, Dept. of School Education, Haryana) where in his candid style, Parmod Ji shares 3 things about the evolving role of assessments in school education today - especially for young learners at the Foundational Stage. 👇 Watch the full episode with Parmod Ji and CSF's Sambhrant Srivastava on our YouTube channel today: 📽️ tinyurl.com/EDgeTalks-Parm… . . #NIPUNKiNeev #FoundationalLearning #NIPUNHaryana #EDgeTalks #FoundationHaiSahi #FLN #Assessments #HaryanaEducation #Governance #MainBhiNIPUN

📢 Starting 28 March, CSF leaders Ishmeet Singh, Dr. Akashi Kaul, Anustup Nayak and Gouri Gupta will be at the @cies_us 2026 Conference in San Francisco, California. As you curate your personal agenda for this 5-day convening on 'Re-examining Education and Peace in a Divided World', swipe right to see complete details of all sessions that CSF will be participating in. 👉 Also catch a special quote from our CEO, Ishmeet Singh on what he is looking forward to at this year's conference! Over the course of the five days, our leaders will be part of conversations on key themes like: ✅ Foundational literacy and numeracy - evidence and implementation ✅ EdTech and AI - learning impact, equity and standards ✅ Reflections from India's FLN journey: Takeaways for the Global South ✅ Personalised Adaptive Learning in practice, and more. Do add these sessions to your agenda, and if you're attending the #CIES2026 Conference, we'd love to connect! Drop a comment below 💬 . . #CSFatCIES #FoundationalLearning #EdTech #AI #GlobalConference #IndiaEducation #SystemsChange #GlobalLeaders #EducationForAll #TransformingEducation

निपुण TLM मेला 3.0 शिक्षक: रामनिवास कुमार विषय: पर्यावरण जिला: पूर्वी चंपारण TLM: "खेल खेल में सीख" #BiharEducationDept

In this edition of #पाठBreaker - a series where we break down terms & concepts commonly used in the education space, we are focusing on High Potential Students. These are learners who exhibit a combination of above-average ability, dedication and creativity. The National Education Policy (#NEP2020) also emphasises the need to identify such students and nurture their exceptional capabilities beyond the standard curriculum. The policy states, "There are innate talents in every student, which must be discovered, nurtured, fostered, and developed. These talents may express themselves in the form of varying interests, dispositions, and capacities. Those students who show particularly strong interests and capacities in a given realm must be encouraged to pursue that realm beyond the general school curriculum." 💡 With India being home to ~25 crore children, many of whom lack access to the right opportunities, a dedicated focus on timely identification and support for high-potential students can help bright minds from the remotest corners of the nation become future innovators, researchers, and leaders! #QualityLearning #HighPotential #STEMEducation #IndiaLearning #EducationReform #Talent #Innovation #SystemicChange #NEP #WorkforceReadiness #STEM

📷 Highlights from the two-day state-level 'NIPUN TLM Mela 3.0' organised at the SCERT Campus in Patna, Bihar! Anchored as part of the #NIPUNBihar Mission, this Mela spotlights how innovative Teaching-Learning Materials (TLMs) can strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (#FLN) for young learners across the state. This year’s entries travelled through a rigorous 4‑tier journey – from Cluster to Block, District and finally State level – with 282 TLMs shortlisted & 260 exhibits showcased across Hindi, Mathematics, English, EVS and Urdu subjects, after they were evaluated on innovation, classroom usability and FLN relevance by a 30-member jury panel. 📚 Sh. Vikram Virkar, IAS (Director, Primary Education cum State Nodal Officer) interacted with teachers at the exhibition stalls & appreciated their creative efforts. The Mela closed on a celebratory note as: ✅ Top 3 TLMs in each subject received trophies ✅ 10 teachers received special appreciation awards ✅ All participating teachers were honoured with certificates. As a next step, a state-level guideline document will be developed based on the best TLMs from the Mela, to help teachers across Bihar adopt effective, classroom-tested practices and accelerate progress towards NIPUN Bihar’s FLN goals. Congratulations to all participating teachers and the NIPUN Bihar team! 👏 . . #BiharLearning #BiharEducationDept #FoundationalLearning #TeachersOfBihar #TLM #IndiaEducation #Teachers #Educators

Insights from the Bharat (#India) Survey for EdTech 2025 @csf_india buff.ly/SLQSbqR

Glimpses from the first day at #OdishaParba in New Delhi — a celebration of colours, devotion and the vibrant cultural spirit of Odisha. This evening, I will be joined by colleagues, Shri @gssjodhpur ji, Union Minister for Culture & Tourism, Government of India, and Shri @ashishsood_bjp ji, Home, Power and Education Minister, Government of Delhi, at the inaugural ceremony of #OdishaParba as the timeless traditions, music, dance and sacred flavours of Odisha unfold in a celebration of its living cultural heritage. @OdishaParba #JaiJagannath #OdishaParba2026

It was our privilege to be part of the Ghaziabad CSR & Sustainability Conclave 2026 earlier this week, for a fireside chat with Shri Abhinav Gopal, IAS (@ChiefGhaziabad) on a very relevant theme - From Policy to Practice: Reimagining School-Level Reform. ✨ During this insightful discussion with Abhinav Sir, CSF's @KukrejaSharma highlighted how strong district leadership and cross-sector partnerships can translate policy intent into meaningful change inside classrooms. She shared reflections from CSF's ongoing work in #Ghaziabad, where as part of the #NIPUN Cell, we work closely with the district leadership of Ghaziabad to strengthen foundational learning and support systemic improvements in schools. At the conclave, CSF was also acknowledged with the 'Corporate Leadership Award' for Impact in Education. It was indeed energising to meet with industry leaders, public policy experts and ecosystem partners at this convening! @ChiefSecyUP @dm_ghaziabad . . #CentralSquareFoundation #Ghaziabad #CSR #PublicPrivatePartnership #Sustainability #Education #Innovation #DPMU #EducationInIndia

[2/2] Drawing on insights from the recently-released Bharat Survey for EdTech (#BaSE) 2025, the piece highlights how independent digital access has expanded rapidly across India, but understanding of how to leverage technology for structured teaching-learning is still limited. With 35% of EdTech-using children & 51% of EdTech-using teachers leveraging AI tools (BaSE 2025), 'AI in Education' is no longer a distant dream. The question is - how do we build #AILiteracy to reduce risks like over-reliance, misinformation and widening gaps. At CSF, BaSE 2025 is our flagship effort to build rigorous evidence around how EdTech is accessed, adopted and used in low-income Bharat, so that policy and programmes can be more grounded in the realities of our classrooms. . . #SabkaEdTech #EdTechForIndia #BharatEdTech #PolicyDialogues #ExpertView #Opinion #TechForGood #AIForGood #Media #BharatSurvey

[1/2] Are we still thinking of EdTech as 'access to devices', or as a critical lever to support children's learning and strengthen India's #HumanCapital & workforce productivity to achieve the #ViksitBharat dream? In this timely OpEd for @livemint, Shri @amitabhk87 (Former G20 Sherpa, Former CEO, @NITIAayog) and Gouri Gupta (Senior Director, EdTech and AI, CSF) argue that India must move beyond just connectivity and hardware, to an outcomes-first approach that actually focusses on what children know and can do by 2047. Building strong learning foundations at scale is key to unlocking India's demographic opportunity. Read the full Opinion piece below 👇

With the launch of India's Centre of Excellence in AI for Education @Bodhan_AI at @iitmadras, one thing is clear: Bharat is deeply committed to AI capacity building, skilling & inclusive digital development. Catch this enriching Fireside Chat with Prof. @ravi_iitm (Board Member, Bodhan AI and Head, @WSAI_IITM, @cerai_iitm) and Dr. Rukmini Banerji (CEO, @Pratham_India) as they share reflections on the specific initiatives being undertaken by the AI Centre of Excellence in Education, rooted in the realities of the Indian education system. 👉 WATCH: tinyurl.com/Fireside-18Feb What is the challenge at hand, key priorities at a system and classroom level, solving for diversity in learner contexts - they cover it all. In the broader dialogue on #ResponsibleAI, this is a conversation you must not miss! . . #SabkaEdTech #AIforGood #EthicalAI #BodhanAI #IndiaAIMission #IndiaImpactSummit2026 #IITMadras #DigitalInnovation

Children's ability to read with meaning and do basic Math by Grade 3 has been identified as a top priority in #NEP2020. This defines their competency in #FoundationalLearning skills which are the building blocks for all future learning. In this exclusive story by @timesofindia, Dr Parmod Kumar (State Programme Officer, @nipunharyana) shares insights from Haryana's recent census-style state assessment which covered over 4.35 lakh students across ~8,600 govt. primary schools. With the first assessment conducted in September 2025 revealing significant learning gaps across the system, Parmod Ji shares how "every district made their own strategy for 45 days which also included category A students, helping lower category students as all the students were already mapped". The assessment was repeated in December 2025, resulting in significant learning gains for Grade 2 and 3 students along with a major shift in school performance categories. Read full story: tinyurl.com/TOIExclusive-H… 🖊️@manashTOI | #NIPUNBharat #NIPUNHaryana #HaryanaEducation #nep #learninglevels #FLN #StateAssessments #FoundationHaiSahi

Through every lesson taught, every question asked, and every hand held - women shape the early learning journeys of a child in countless ways. This International Women's Day, we celebrate the wonderful women - mothers, teachers, caregivers, mentors & community champions - who are helping build strong foundations today, that will lead to stronger futures tomorrow! Because when she learns, India leads. ✨ . . #SheForShiksha #InternationalWomensDay #WomensDay #IWD2026 #EducationForAll #WomenInEducation #WomenWhoLead

EdTech and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are rapidly reshaping conversations about the future of education in India, with the recent #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 marking a pivotal moment in the national discourse. Against this backdrop, the launch of CSF’s second edition of the Bharat Survey for EdTech (#BaSE) 2025 is especially timely, bringing rigorous, ground-level evidence to the forefront. Check out the February 2026 edition of #TheEDge, where: 💠 In the first article, we unpack the what, why and how of BaSE 2025, diving deep into its key insights. 💠 In the second article, Prof. @ambudon (IIM-A and Academic Advisor to BaSE 2025 & 2023) reflects on why such evidence is critical to shaping a more equitable and informed EdTech future for India. 📨 Read here: tinyurl.com/InsideBaSE2025 @amitabhk87 | @HarishDoraiswa2 | @bhanupotta | @israni_radhika . . #SabkaEdTech #EdTech #AI #SurveyInsights #EdTechinIndia #education #DigitalIndia

🎙️ #LiveNow | Tune-in to Episode 10 of #EDgeTalks #NIPUNKiNeev, featuring Dr. Parmod Kumar, State Programme Officer, NIPUN Haryana, Department of School Education, Haryana, in coversation with CSF's Sambhrant Srivastava (Associate Director - Foundational Learning) on Haryana’s journey strengthening #FoundationalLearning outcomes. 🎬 WATCH NOW: tinyurl.com/ytyayu7e In this episode, we explore: ▪️ Haryana’s NIPUN journey from Grades 1–3 to Balvatika–Grade 5 reform ▪️ Why #FoundationalLearning is key to India’s #ViksitBharat vision ▪️ System-wide reforms enabling change across schools & classrooms Like, RT and subscribe for more! @nipunharyana | #FoundationHaiSahi #FLN #Districts #Haryana #GroundChanges #TeachingLearning #Governance #SystemsReform #EducationReform #StateAssessment #HaryanaEducation #MainBhiNIPUN #nep2020 #NIPUNBharat | @speling_miskate

For the upcoming edition of EDge Talks #NIPUNKiNeev, we had a wonderful, insightful conversation with Dr. Parmod Kumar (State Programme Officer, Dept. of School Education, Government of Haryana) on the role of governance-led reforms in shaping the #NIPUNHaryana journey. Parmod Ji has been a key architect in the @nipunharyana Mission, and has been one of the strongest drivers of change at the state and district levels. Improved SLOs in the state, challenges, what worked and more - he shares it all in this exclusive conversation with CSF's Sambhrant Srivastava. 🔔Watch this space - full episode dropping soon on our YouTube channel. . . #FoundationHaiSahi #TeachingLearning #Governance #SystemsChange #StateAssessment #HaryanaEducation #MainBhiNIPUN #nep2020

Onto the next in AI for Education with the launch of #ShikshaNext: A Rs 170 Cr initiative to strengthen learning for Bharat through EdTech. 🚀 ShikshaNext is a bold, multi-donor, multi-year initiative aimed at improving learning outcomes for children from underserved communities by leveraging EdTech and AI. Launched in the esteemed presence of Shri @dpradhanbjp Ji, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Government of India, and Shri @sanjayjavin Ji, Secretary, DoSEL, @EduMinOfIndia, on the sidelines of the #IndiaAIImpactSummit, this initiative aims to enable more than 13 million children across Bharat to access meaningful, technology-and AI-enabled learning opportunities by 2029. ShikshaNext is supported by a coalition of philanthropic organisations and ecosystem partners committed to strengthening learning outcomes through technology. The initiative is anchored by @DellFdn, @ril_foundation and the @gatesfoundation as Founding Strategic Partners, with Central Square Foundation as Managing Partner and Prevail Fund and @AnthropicAI being Supporting Partners. With the initiative formally launched by the Hon'ble Minister of Education, we are committed to building ShikshaNext and contributing to the vision of a #ViksitBharat by 2047. 🇮🇳 Watch the official logo unveil! | @OfficialINDIAai @_DigitalIndia @GoI_MeitY #SabkaEdTech #Accelerator #IndiaInnovation #EdTech #PhilanthropicCapital

📰 In the News || CSF's Bharat Survey for EdTech (#BaSE) 2025 has initiated a powerful public conversation on how children, parents and teachers in India today are really using EdTech and AI. Several national media publications have featured BaSE as one of the first large-scale efforts offering insights on EdTech access and usage, as well as trends in #GenAI awareness and adoption for teaching and learning in Bharat. Some key findings: 💠 35% of children who already use EdTech platforms are now using GenAI tools for learning. 💠At the same time, nearly 3/4th of GenAI-aware children mistakenly believe these tools function like internet search engines. 💠 90% of surveyed households own at least one smartphone, with 57% (over half) owning two or more smartphones. 💠  63% of children use technology for learning. To learn more about BaSE and explore the key findings, click here: tinyurl.com/BaSE-2025 @PTI_News @ndtv @bsindia @thewire_in @toi @manashTOI @EconomicTimes @the_hindu @BhaskarBasava . . #SabkaEdTech #BharatSurveyForEdTech #IndiaEducation #EducationSurvey #GenAIUse #innovation #techforlearning