illiteracy in india, meaning of illiteracy, causes of illiteracy, illiteracy eradication program

1. Illiteracy
M.DEIVAM M.Sc.,M.Ed.,M.Phil.,
Assistant Professor,
Usha Letchumanan College of Education,
Pandicherry.

2. Illiteracy:
 A person who is unable to sign and unable to read
and write, in simple sentences is called illiterate.

3. Introduction to Illiteracy
Illiteracy is one of the biggest problems that India is
facing in contemporary world. Illiteracy is the
mother of various other issues like poverty,
population explosion, unemployment, child labor.
Illiteracy is a major stumbling block in the growth
and development of the country. The majority of the
population in India is still illiterate which is
hampering the progress.

4. Cont..,
 In India, illiteracy is basically categorized as wide gaps between
rural and urban populations. The majority of the people are
illiterate especially in rural areas, where people are unaware
about the ill effects of being illiterate and moreover facilities are
also not ample. The enrolment level of students in primary and
secondary grades is very low in rural areas.
 In spite of various schemes and initiatives by the Government to
promote literacy the results are not satisfactory. Even there is a
wide variation in the literacy ratio of males and females. India is
a male dominated society and thus the right of education seems
to be owned by them only.

5. Causes of illiteracy
1.Lack of economic means to send the children to the school.
2. Lack of awareness and consciousness
3.No will among the political leadership to educate their people
4.caste divisions and most of the illiterates are from lower castes
such as SC/STs and BCs, upper castes were not in their welfare
and wellbeing.
5.Budgetary constraints due to over population.

6. Cont..,
6.Poverty
7.Poor Government schemes.
8.Lack of schools in rural areas(70 percent of indians live in rural
areas)
9.In remote areas, Parents don't send girls to school
10.Child marriages
11.The biggest of them all...corruption...politicians deposit the
money which is supposed to be spend on schools in their own
account

7. Efforts to Eradicate Illiteracy in India
A number of significant programmes have been taken up
since Independence to eradicate illiteracy among adults.
Some of the important programmes included:
¨ Social Education - implemented in the First Five-Year
Plan (1951-56). The programme gave importance to literacy,
extension, general education, leadership training and social
consciousness.
¨ 'Gram Shikshan Mohim' - a movement for literacy in the
rural areas started first in Satara district of Maharashtra in
1959 which was later extended to other parts of the state.
The programme aimed at imparting basic literacy skills
within a period of four months.

8. Cont.,
¨ Farmer's Functional Literacy Project (FFLP) - started in
1967-68 as an inter-ministerial project for farmers’ training
and functional literacy. The project aimed at popularisation
of high yielding varieties of seeds through the process of
adult education in 144 districts.
¨ Non-formal education (NFE) - launched in the
beginning of Fifth Five Year Plan for the age group of 15-25
years.

9. Cont.,
¨ Functional Literacy for Adult Women (FLAW) - started
in 1975-76 in the experimental Integrated Child
Development Scheme (ICDS) project areas. The scheme
included a component which enabled illiterate adult women
to acquire functional skills along with literacy, to gain better
awareness of health, hygiene, child care practices and in the
process facilitated attitudinal changes.
¨ National Adult Education Programme (NAEP) -
launched on October, 2 1978. This was the first programme
in India taken up at macro level to eradicate illiteracy
through project approach. It was a massive programme
aimed at educating 100 million non-literate adults in the age-
group of 15-35 years within a time frame of five years.

10. Cont.,
¨ Rural Functional Literacy Project (RFLP) - the
objectives of the scheme were: to impart functional literacy
to all illiterate persons in 15-35 age group who are living in the
rural areas by organising specified number of literacy centres
in accordance with the norms and guidelines issued by the
then Department of Education, Ministry of HRD from time
to time.
¨ Mass Programme of Functional Literacy (MPFL) -
launched on May 1, 1986 by involving National Service
Scheme (NSS) and other students in colleges and
universities. During 1987-88, NCC Cadets from senior
division were also involved in the programme.

11. SSA(2002-2003)
 Free and compulsory education for all age group up to
14.
 2007 – V standard completed successfully
 2010 - VIII standard completed successfully

12. National Policy on Education - 1986
National Policy on Education - 1986 and the Revised Plan of
Action - 1992 gave an unqualified priority to the following
three programmes for eradication of illiteracy:
 (a) Universalisation of Elementary Education and universal
retention of children upto 14 years of age.
 (b) Systematic programme of non-formal education in the
educationally backward states.
 (c) National Literacy Mission to impart functional literacy
to adults in the age-group of 15 - 35 years.

13. Illiteracy costs India more than $ 53
billion a year:
 New Delhi: Illiteracy is costing Indian economy more than $
53 billion a year, a report has estimated. According to the
report titled 'Economic and Social Cost of Illiteracy' by World
Literacy Foundation, illiteracy costs India an estimated $
53.56 billion.

14.  NEW DELHI: Nearly 70 per cent of the illiterate population
in the country are in eight states of UP, Bihar, Andhra, West
Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Karnataka, Rajya Sabha was informed at parliament(2001).

16. conclusion
 Literacy is a strong weapon which can root out
the social issues like dowry, corruption and child
labor. Literate population can contribute
manifolds in the economic and social
development of a nation. If India wants to be a
developed and powerful nation, then literacy is
the key. The government should introduce new
schemes and policies and should allocate special
funds to promote literacy.

17. Thank you