Project Deepasthambha
Pioneering District-Wide Foundational Learning in Wardha, 2023-25
Overview
Project Deepasthambha is a landmark district-wide initiative launched in Wardha, Maharashtra, aimed at transforming Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes in alignment with NEP 2020 and Mission NIPUN Bharat. By integrating a specialised FLN tracking feature into VOPA's V-School platform, the project eliminated manual data entry, saving hundreds of thousands of teacher hours and providing district administration with real-time dashboards to drive targeted micro-interventions. The project evolved from a guided pilot into a fully independent, system-led initiative that set the gold standard for the rest of the state.
The Problem
Before this project, tracking student learning in Wardha was a manual, paper-heavy process that consumed immense teacher time and delayed actionable feedback. There was no mechanism for real-time visibility into student learning levels across the district, making it impossible for administrators to identify where support was needed and act in time.
The Solution
VOPA integrated a specialised FLN tracking feature into the V-School platform tailored for Wardha's Zilla Parishad schools. Monthly assessments in Marathi, English, and Numeracy were digitised and delivered through a teacher-friendly interface. Teachers conducted literacy and numeracy assessments by the 5th of every month, noted each student's level, and uploaded data through the V-School app. Block Education Officers visited schools randomly to cross-verify assessments. Real-time dashboards gave school leaders, cluster supervisors, and district officers objective data on student learning levels. The system was designed to be zero-cost to the beneficiary.
Implementation
The first assessment cycle ran from July 2023 to March 2024, covering 43,484 students across 900 plus Zilla Parishad schools in Wardha. Students were nearly equally split by gender (49.7% female, 50.3% male) and covered Marathi medium (27%) and Semi-English medium (73%) streams, across Grades 1 to 8. The project subsequently progressed to a second year (July 2024 - March 2025), during which the district achieved full system independence, with VOPA transitioning to a technology support role only. Urdu medium assessments were added in the second year for complete linguistic inclusivity, generating nearly 1.7 million student records.
Scale & Reach
Partnerships
Impact
Grade 3 Marathi story-level reading rose from 8% to 32% over the year, an increase of 24 percentage points.
Grade 5 Marathi story-level reading rose from 18% to 48% over the year, an increase of 30 percentage points.
Grade 8 English paragraph reading rose from 37% to 68% over the year.
Subtraction proficiency (Grade 3) improved from 35% to 56%; division proficiency (Grade 5) from 54% to 66%.
Hundreds of thousands of teacher hours saved by eliminating manual paper-based assessment.
District achieved full system independence in Year 2, running the platform without VOPA's hands-on support.
Wardha model served as the foundational blueprint for Project DIISHA in Thane and statewide Mission NIPUN Maharashtra.
Case Story
From District Blueprint to State Standard
Project Deepasthambha began in Wardha as a question: could a government district fully own and run a digital FLN assessment system? By the end of Cycle 2, the answer was yes. The district ran the entire system independently, generated 1.7 million student records, and delivered measurable learning improvements across all subjects and mediums. The CEO of Wardha Zilla Parishad received a SKOCH Award for this model. That model directly inspired Project DIISHA in Thane and ultimately shaped Mission NIPUN Maharashtra, now operating across 65,000 plus schools statewide.
Key Learnings
When teachers are equipped with easy-to-use digital tools and administrators have real-time data, systemic transformation is achievable at zero cost to the beneficiary.
A district can achieve full system independence when digital tools are built for usability and ownership from the start.
Linguistic inclusivity across Marathi, English, and Urdu medium is essential for complete district-level FLN data.
Monthly universal assessment with real-time dashboards shifts education governance from periodic reporting to continuous improvement.
District-level innovation, when documented and shared, can directly shape state-level policy and programme design.
Awards & Recognition
A voiceover walkthrough of the Wardha FLN impact report, explaining all slides and findings from Cycle 1 in detail.
Wardha FLN Impact Analysis Report (Cycle 1)