Literal advantage: How lakhs are learning to write their destiny

Education means knowledge. Knowledge is power — power to choose; power to effect change; power to understand issues; power to make wise decisions; power to transform one’s lives; power to uplift one’s family as well as society. And education can only be gained if one is literate. And literacy is defined as an individual’s ability to communicate through reading and writing.

BOOKING A BETTER FUTURE

In the past 10 years, from 2011 to 2022, India’s literacy rate has increased significantly. While the literacy rate, when compared with developed nations, is still low, currently there are 84.7% literate men and 70.3% literate women. The average literacy rate in 2021 was 77.7% compared with 72.99% in 2011, according to the National Family Health Survey-5 and National Statistical Office (2021 and 2022). While the average literacy difference between men and women is 12.9 percentage points, Kerala has the smallest gap of just 2.2 percentage points.

In its effort to provide literacy to all, the Indian Government has started the Nav Bharat Saaksharata Karyakram or New India Literacy Programme (NILP) for implementation from financial years 2022 to 2027. The scheme is in alignment with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It targets all non-literates aged 15 years and above with the focus being on women and educationally backward states.

The five components of the scheme include Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills, and Continuing Education. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) volunteers, students of schools and higher education institutions and teacher education institutions have been involved in the teaching-learning activities across the country.

On March 19, 2023, the first Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) under the Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram was held across 10 States and Union Territories to assess the basic reading, writing and numeracy skills of the neo-literates.

The positive response to the scheme could be assessed from the number of participants itself as more than 22.7 lakh learners aged between 15 years and 80 years participated in the event to be declared as literates on qualifying the test.

The maximum number of learners — 9,25,854 (5,91,421 women and 3,34,433 men) appeared in Madhya Pradesh against the initial target of 5,35,000 learners. The assessment test was conducted in all 52 districts of the state.

In what could be considered an inspiration for all neo-literates, in Jhabua, a tribal district of Madhya Pradesh, where 58,470 people appeared in the test, a groom, Neelesh Vasuniya from Nawapara village in Thandla Block, stopped his baarat and appeared for the assessment test before moving on to his wedding venue.

In Uttar Pradesh, FLNAT was held in all 75 districts where 1,46,055 learners appeared in the test. In both Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh, 7,366 learners appeared for the test. While 5,48,352 learners (3,98,418 women and 1,49,934 men) appeared in the assessment test held in schools in 33 districts of Rajasthan, in Tamil Nadu the test was organised in all 38 districts where 5,28,416 learners (4,36,020 men and 92,371 men) appeared for it. Twenty five transgenders of 13 districts also appeared for the test.

On January 27, 2023, University Grants Commission issued directions to the vice-chancellors of universities and principals of all colleges in the country to involve students and higher education institutions for implementation of the scheme. It directed them to give credits for this volunteer activity and have mandatory coursework for NILP for students of teacher training institutes.