Context:
Union Minister of State for Education shared recent statistics on the improvement of literacy rates in rural India in the Lok Sabha.
Key Highlights of the Minister’s Address
Increase in Rural Literacy Rate:
- Rural India’s literacy rate has increased by more than 10 percentage points in the past decade.
- The literacy rate in rural India has risen from 67.77% in 2011 to 77.50% in 2023-24 among individuals aged seven and above.
Gender-wise Literacy Improvements:
- Female literacy in rural areas has increased from 57.93% to 70.4%.
- Male literacy has improved from 77.15% to 84.7%.
Government Initiatives to Improve Literacy:
- Several Centrally Sponsored Schemes have been launched to boost literacy rates, especially in rural India.
Key schemes include:
- Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (2018-19 to 2025-26)
- Saakshar Bharat (2009-10 to 2017-18)
- Padhna Likhna Abhiyan (2020-21 to 2021-22)
- ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (NILP) (2022-23 to 2026-27).
About ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram
ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, also known as the New India Literacy Programme (NILP), is a centrally sponsored initiative that aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
It aims to empower adults aged 15 and above from all backgrounds who missed formal schooling, helping them integrate into society and contribute to the nation‘s growth.
The scheme is designed for rural and educationally backward regions.
The scheme aims to uplift adult literacy rates, especially among rural women and marginalized communities, contributing significantly to inclusive education and lifelong learning.
The programme is implemented in a hybrid mode, offering flexibility in offline, online, or combined learning approaches.
A dedicated ULLAS Mobile App has also been developed for:
- Registering learners and volunteer teachers.
- Facilitating the teaching-learning process by providing primers in 26 languages.
The app supports the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), a national literacy test, with over 2 crore learners already appearing for it.
Maharashtra has successfully implemented the ULLAS scheme, with 10.87 lakh learners registered.
The state conducted its first FLNAT, where over 4 lakh learners participated.
Bihar has not yet implemented the ULLAS scheme.