The Central Government has announced that 14 Indian States and Union Territories (UTs) have achieved or exceeded the literacy rate of 80%. The announcement has been by Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
The 14 States and UTs are: Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, NCR of Delhi, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.
Union Government’s flagship scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has helped to improve literacy rate. It was also announced that 10 States and UTs have also been able to reduce gender gap to 10 per cent or less. These states are Punjab, Chandigarh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Goa, Lakshadweep, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
SSA is an Indian Government programme aimed at the universalisation of elementary education “in a time bound manner”.
The 86th amendment to the Constitution of India makes free and compulsory education to children of ages 6–14, a fundamental right.
The programme was pioneered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Central share was funded by a number of external agencies, including the World Bank, DFID and UNICEF.
Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat is a nationwide sub-programme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
