The Union Human Resources Development Minister has said that the success of Saakshar Bharat lays squarely with Panchayati Raj Institutions. Speaking at the convention of Ministers of Adult Education and Panchayati Raj and District Panchayat Residents at New Delhi today, Dr. Pallam Raju said the key component of Saakshar Bharat is Panchayats running this mission. He said it will help in achieving the herculean task of making 7 crore adults literate, achievable. He added that if the synergy with Panchayati Raj Institutions is utilized properly, the programme can create ‘Equal, Inclusive and Literate India’.
Seeking more budgetary allocation to Saakshar Bharat programme, Dr. Pallam Raju said the Saakshar Bharat programme is expected to make non-literate adults literate and prevent relapse to illiteracy. Expressing satisfaction over rising literacy rate as per the new Census, the Minister said the literacy rate of the country has risen from 64.8% in 2001 to 73% in 2011. What is more encouraging is the Minister said the female literacy growth has outstripped the male literacy growth by nearly 100% and the gender gap has been reduced. The Minister acknowledged that the ministry has a long way to go in this area as there is wide variation in female literacy rates particularly in rural areas.
Saakshar Bharat is a Central Government initiative launched by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2009 to create a literate society through a variety of teaching learning programmes for non-literate and neo-literate of 15 years and above. It is operational in 372 districts covering nearly 1.5. lakh Gram Panchayats.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for HRD, Dr. Shashi Tharoor said the Convention should provide an opportunity to reflect on how Gram Panchayats can be effective agents of change towards adult literacy initiative through successful implementation of Saakshar Bharat programme. He said that the programme has not been able to achieve its objective as low priority is given to it by the administration.
The one-day Meeting was attended among others by the Dy. Chairman of Planning Commission, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Ministers of Adult Education and Panchayati Raj.