Any broader analysis of India’s human capital, arguably the most important source of its long-term growth and development, paints a sobering picture. The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) by the non-profit organisation Pratham is no different. It gives a glimpse of what 14-18-year-olds in rural India are doing. The report must be commended for the insights it gives into the preparedness of a cohort that would soon take responsibility as adult citizens and join the workforce. However, as the findings over the years have shown, although students complete elementary education, many of them just fail to acquire basic