New India Literacy Programme

New India Literacy Programme  

News: Recently, a new scheme “New India Literacy Programme” for the period FYs 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of Adult Education to align with National Education Policy 2020 has been approved.It is also in line with Budget 2021-22, which announced that increased access to resources, online modules covering the entire gamut of adult education will be introduced.The estimated total outlay of the scheme is Rs.1037.90 crore which includes Central share of Rs. 700 crore and State share of Rs. 337.90 crore respectively for the FYs 2022 - 27.Term “AdultEducation” will be replaced by “EducationForAll”.

Objectives:
• To impart not only foundational literacy and numeracy but also to cover other components which are necessary for a citizen of the 21st century.
• Critical life skills (including financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare).
• Vocational skills development (with a view towards obtaining local employment).
• Basic education (including preparatory, middle, and secondary stage equivalency).
• Continuing education (including engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences, technology,culture, sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or use to local learners, such as more advanced material on critical life skills).

Implementation:
• The scheme will be implemented through volunteerism through online mode.The training, orientation, workshops of volunteers, may be organized through face-to-face mode. All material and resources shall be provided digitally.School will be Unit for implementation of the scheme.Schools to be used for conducting surveys of beneficiaries and Voluntary Teachers.

Beneficiaries:
• Non-literates of the age of 15 years and above in all states/UTs in the country.
• The target is 5 (five) crore learners @ 1.00 crore per year by using “Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS)” in collaboration with National Informatics Centre, NCERT and NIOS.

Significance:
• As per Census 2011, the absolute number of non-literates of the country in 15 years and above age group is 25.76 crore (Male 9.08 crore, Female 16.68 crore).Also, in consideration of the progress of persons certified as literates being to the tune of 7.64 crore under the Saakshar Bharat programme implemented during 2009-10 to 2017-18, it is estimated that currently around 18.12 crore adults are still non-literate in India.