Saakshar Bharat Programme
Saakshar Bharat programme has got four broad objectives, namely; (i) Impart functional literacy and numeracy to non-literate and non-numerate adults;(ii) Enable the neo-literate adults to continue their learning beyond basic literacy and acquire equivalency to formal educational system (iii) Impart non and neo-literates relevant skill development programmes to improve their earning and living conditions and (iv) Promote a learning society by providing opportunities to neo literate adults for continuing education. A district, including a new district carved out of an erstwhile district that had an adult female literacy rate of 50 percent or below, as per the 2001 census, is eligible for coverage under the Saakshar Bharat programme. In addition, left-wing extremism-affected districts, irrespective of their literacy rate, are also eligible for coverage under the programme. The principal target of the programme is to cover 70 million adult non-literates under basic literacywith prime focus on Women, SCs, STs, Minorities & other disadvantaged groups in rural areas.
Under the Central Sector Scheme of“Support to Voluntary Agencies for Adult Education andSkill Development”, 32 State Resource Centres (SRCs)and 251 Jan ShikshanSansthans (JSSs) funded by the Government of India also help in development of academic curriculum for literacy and imparting skill training to non-literates/neo-literates respectively.Besides, Rotary India International is also associated with National Literacy Mission in spreading literacy among 1,00,000 learners. Periodic review meetings of SRCs and JSSs are held formonitoring their performances and sharing the feedback.
Plan-wise targets are fixed to achieve higher levels of literacy in a phased manner. The present targets are to raise the overall literacy rate to 80 percent and reduce the gender gap to 10 percentage pointsby the end of XII Five Year Plan.
This information was given by Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Lok Sabha today.
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