Gurugram: The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Gurugram, has commenced a seven-day residential training programme under the NIPUN Haryana Mission to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) among primary school students. The programme, being held from July 30 to August 5, brings together 181 Key Resource Persons (KRPs), Assistant Block Resource Coordinators (ABRCs), Block Resource Persons (BRPs), primary teachers and Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) from Gurugram and seven other districts of Haryana.
The workshop was inaugurated by SCERT Gurugram Joint Director Diljeet Singh, Deputy Director Anshu Singla, and District Elementary Education Officer Sumita Rangi, who formally launched the programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp and cutting the ribbon.
‘NIPUN Reporter Sanjay’ Introduced as Mission Mascot
A key highlight of the inaugural session was the official launch of ‘NIPUN Reporter Sanjay’, the Gurugram mascot of the NIPUN Haryana Mission, by Joint Director Diljeet Singh. The mascot joins ‘NIPUN Reporter Geeta’, which was officially unveiled earlier by State Project Director Swapnil Ravindra Patil during the State Training Group (STG) programme in Panchkula.
District Coordinator and NIPUN Mission Nodal Officer Manoj Kumar Lakra said the mascots have been conceptualised as vibrant ambassadors of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) to engage children, teachers and communities while increasing awareness and visibility of the NIPUN Haryana Mission across the state.
Explaining the significance of the new mascot, Lakra noted that Sanjay, from the Mahabharata, is regarded as the world’s first “reporter” or “commentator.” Blessed with divine vision by Maharishi Ved Vyas, Sanjay narrated the events of the Kurukshetra war to the blind King Dhritarashtra, making the character a symbolic representation of communication and knowledge dissemination.
Focus on Foundational Learning
Addressing the participants, District Elementary Education Officer Sumita Rangi said the training has been organised to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy among students from Classes I to V under the state’s flagship NIPUN Haryana Mission. She said the NIPUN Bharat Mission aims to ensure that every child in primary classes attains age-appropriate reading, writing and numeracy skills by 2026-27.
She added that after completing the training, the KRPs will serve as master trainers in their respective blocks and train other primary school teachers to effectively implement the mission at the grassroots level.
Activity-Based Learning at the Core
District Coordinator Manoj Kumar Lakra said the seven-day training has been designed in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Directorate of School Education, with each day’s sessions focusing on different aspects of foundational learning.
The first day’s training centred on Balvatika (pre-primary education), where participants were introduced to Balvatika kits, play-based and activity-based teaching methods, language development techniques, motor skill enhancement, storytelling, role play, worksheet preparation and innovative student assessment methods.
Teachers also received training on developing logical thinking and mathematical reasoning, promoting oral language skills in Hindi, and effectively using digital resources such as the NIPUN Parent App, school libraries, ChatGPT, and teaching-learning kits (TLMs) to make classroom learning more interactive and engaging.
The programme was attended by Block Education Officer Rakesh Sharma, District Coordinator Manoj Kumar Lakra, principals Joginder, Sunita, Shashi Rana, Ombeer Singh, and members of the State Training Group (STG). The initiative aims to equip educators with modern pedagogical tools and best practices to ensure quality foundational education for every child in Haryana.