The Annual Status of Education Report (Aser), by non-governmental organisation Pratham, is usually a sombre read, underscoring the learning gaps in Indian schools. The situation expectedly became worse during the pandemic with schools remaining shut for a long period. However, the latest report, released on Tuesday, showed some encouraging findings. Even though large learning gaps remain, there are several positive findings and the Indian state needs to build on them. First, the latest survey shows the learning setback of the pandemic has been reversed. Second, there has been significant improvement at pre-primary level. Third, there is a relatively high degree