On the Occasion of International Literacy Day, Shri  Pranab Mukherjee presented the Saakshar Bharat Awards 2015. It was organized by Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The progress of Literacy rates in India:

•  In 1951, when the first Census was conducted, the literacy rate of India was only 18 percent.
•  in 2011, the literacy rate is 72.98 percent.
• Overall Literacy rate has grown by 8.15 percent points in the last decade (64.84% in 2001 & 72.99% in 2011).
• The male literacy rate has grown by 5.63 percent points (75.26% in 2001 & 80.89% in 2011) whereas female literacy rate 10.97 percent points (53.67% in 2001 & 64.64% in 2011).
• The number of illiterates (7+ age group) decreased from 304.10 million in 2001 to 282.59 million in 2011.
• The aim is to achieve a literacy rate of 80 percent by end of XIIth Plan Period.

About Saakshar Mission:

• Objective:  aims at extending educational options to those adults, who have lost the opportunity and have crossed the age of formal education, but now feel a need for learning of any type, including literacy, basic education, skill development (Vocational Education) and equivalency.
• National Literacy Mission (NLM), was launched in 1988.
• Saakshar Bharat is the new variant of  NLM.

About Saakshar Awards 2015:

• The awards were presented on the occasion of International Literacy Day on September 8, 2015.
• Applications were invited for Saakshar Bharat Awards – 2015 for the following categories:
  •  State – State Literacy Mission Authorities (SLMAs)
  •  District – Zilla Lok Shiksha Samitis (ZLSSs)
  • Gram Panchayat – Gram Lok Shiksha Samitis (GLSSs)
  •  Resource Support Organisations like University Dept. of Adult & Continuing Education, SRCs, JSSs, NGOs and other organizations

Achievements under  Saakshar Bharat:

•  Programme rolled out in rural areas of 397 Low Female Literacy Districts in 26 States and one Union Territory since 2009.
•  31.41 million learners (including 22.53 million females) successfully passed the basic literacy assessments conducted from 2010 by National Institute of Open Schooling up to August 2014.
•  Certified learners also include 7.40 million Scheduled Castes (23.58%), 4.06 million Scheduled Tribes (12.93%) and 2.57 million Minorities (8.19%).

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