Kolhapur Grandmother Passes Literacy Test After Studying With Her Grandson

For years, Mangal Mane watched her grandson Virat study. Then she started studying with him.¹

On Sunday, October 25, Mane passed a basic reading, writing and arithmetic test in Kolhapur, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. She can now read basic letters, write her own name and do simple math.¹ The test was part of India’s ULLAS Nav Bharat Saksharta program, which helps people aged 15 and older who never got the chance to learn to read and write.³

“It feels good to have studied at this age,” Mane, who is in her 60s, told ETV Bharat.¹

A late start, with a study partner in fifth grade

Mane grew up in Tondoli village in Sangli district and has lived in Jawaharnagar, a part of Kolhapur, for about 10 years. She missed out on school because she married and her days filled up with running a household. She made sure her own children got an education.¹

Her grandson, Virat Ganesh Mane, is in fifth grade. At first she simply watched him study. Later the two sat down together once he got home from school and had his evening snack.¹

“He taught me well. Since I am usually the only one at home, it was easy for me to read, study, and catch up on things,” she told ETV Bharat.¹

Virat had help. Mane also went to literacy classes at Veer Kakayya Vidyalaya, a nearby school, where teachers Satapa Patil and Swati Sankpal guided her.¹ “I attended school for two months and studied as per my convenience every day, as my grandson would help me,” she said.¹

What the test asked

Mane told ETV Bharat the exam included a viva (a spoken exam), a reading section, and a written part covering basic arithmetic and the alphabet.¹

She was far from the only adult sitting the test that day. The October 25 exam was the first Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test of the 2026-27 year, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.³ Nagpur district alone expected 13,100 adults to sit it at 1,705 centers, in Marathi, Hindi and Urdu.²

A program built for second chances

The program runs from 2022 to 2027. Beyond reading and math, it covers digital and financial literacy, health and hygiene, the environment, and citizens’ rights and duties.² It is a centrally sponsored scheme, meaning India’s national government backs it, with five parts: basic literacy and numeracy, life skills, basic education, job skills and continuing education.⁴

What her story suggests for other learners

• Learn next to someone who is learning too. Mane began by watching her grandson study, then joined his after-school routine.¹
• Use the quiet hours you already have. She told ETV Bharat she is usually the only one at home, which made it easy to read and study.¹
• Pair home practice with real instruction. Her daily sessions with Virat ran alongside classes with teachers at a local school.¹
• Look for local adult programs. Programs like this one are open to anyone 15 or older who missed formal schooling.³

For Mane, the result is simple and practical: she can read the basic alphabet, and her name is something she can write herself.¹