Country's '100% literacy by 2030' goal hits Bihar wall, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The Union Education Ministry's ULLAS scheme aims for 100% literacy by 2030, but faces challenges in Bihar due to the state's reluctance to participate.
• Bihar's literacy rate is 74.3% among those aged seven and above, lower than the national average of 80.9%.
• There are approximately 2 crore non-literates aged 15-59 in Bihar, with 1.32 crore being females.
• The central government has already released ₹15.79 crore as the central share to Bihar in 2023 for the implementation of ULLAS.

Detailed Insights:

• The ULLAS scheme requires states to identify non-literates above 15 years, provide basic literacy and numeracy training equivalent to Class 3, and conduct tests for certification.
• Bihar has not transferred the central share of funds to the Single Nodal Agency (SNA) account, violating the Department of Expenditure guidelines.
• Bihar is prioritizing its own literacy scheme, 'Akshar Anchal', which focuses on literacy among Dalit, Mahadalit, minority communities, extremely backward classes, and women.
• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes adult education initiatives to achieve 100% literacy, aligning with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
• The Education Ministry defines literacy as the ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension, including digital and financial literacy, and considers 98% literacy as equivalent to being fully literate.

Key Concepts Involved:

• ULLAS: A central government scheme aimed at achieving 100% literacy by 2030 through lifelong learning.
• Akshar Anchal: Bihar's state-run literacy scheme focusing on marginalized communities and women.
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: A comprehensive framework for education reform in India, emphasizing universal literacy.