Literacy Focus
Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM) programme aims to achieve ‘Total Literacy and Quality Education’ in India. Towards this end, RILM has entered into an understanding with the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Government of India, to educate 2,00,000 adults across India this year. Till now, the Government has worked to arrest adult illiteracy under its ‘Saakshar Bharat’ mission. RILM’s ‘Swabhiman’ campaign will complement this mission. These learners will be certified as literate by the Government on successfully clearing the examination.
Where India stands in Adult Literacy?
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation report on ‘Education for All Global Monitoring Report, 2013–14: Teaching and Learning: Achieving Quality for All’ states India has the highest population of non-literate adults at 287 million, accounting for 37 percent of the world’s non-literate population. RILM joining hands with the Centre will focus on curbing this high percentage of non-literates.
Amongst its set targets, RILM is going to launch its ‘Swabhiman’ campaign under its ‘Adult Literacy’ component of ‘T-E-A-C-H’ programme with the Government of India this summer to educate non-literates above the age of
15 years.
The ‘Swabhiman’ campaign, riding on ‘Each One, Reach One, Teach One’ slogan, aims to make an adult literate at a cost of Rs 100 only. The Rotary Club concerned needs to mobilise another Rs 40 for each adult learner to enable him/her to take the examination and be certified as literate.
The adult learner has to successfully take the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) examination held either in March or August to be certified as literate by the Government of India, under its ‘Saakshar Bharat’ movement.
