In Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur, five-year-old Jhanvi, a Grade 1 student at the Government Primary School, has found a new excitement for learning. Once shy and reluctant to go to school, she now spends her evenings revising lessons in a small study corner her mother has created for her at home.

Her mother proudly watches as Jhanvi reads and counts with growing confidence. 

“Initially, I was scared to go to school, but now I eagerly wait to go every day. We have no heavy bags, just joy and learning – that’s why I love it here,” says Jhanvi.

Her teacher, Preeti Upadhyay, has been teaching at the school for many years and has seen a visible change in her students since the implementation of the Mission Ankur(state mission for MP under NIPUN Bharat Mission). Preeti says that teaching has become more activity-based and joyful. Instead of long lessons from books, now they use games, wall charts and simple classroom tools to make concepts easier.

The school has also adopted a ‘bagless’ approach to reduce the burden on children and make classrooms more engaging. 

Preeti adds, “We encourage parents to continue these practices at home. Many mothers, like Jhanvi’s, have set up study corners so that children can learn in a similar way outside school.”

From being unsure and hesitant to becoming an eager learner, Jhanvi’s journey shows how efforts under the NIPUN Bharat Mission are helping children learn with understanding, confidence and joy, both in the classroom and at home.