India, Aug. 1 -- Here is a simple task. Take an ORS packet. Read the instructions. For effective hydration, instructions must be followed. As part of the ASER 2023, young people (aged 14-18) who were part of the survey were asked to read the package and answer simple questions: If you had four litres of water, how many ORS packets would you need? How many litres of the mixture can be given to a 45-year-old man in 24 hours? About 25% of this age group could not read simple text fluently in their regional language. Of those who could read, 70% could answer questions. Remember, this entire sample of youth had at least 7-8 years of schooling and had done measurement as part of maths in school.

The survey, ASER 2023 Beyond Basics, spent time ...