How and When can India Achieve 100% literacy

Overview

The capability to read and write is conventionally termed as Literacy. Currently, the meaning of literacy has widened as it embraces the capacity to utilize language, images, numbers and other methods to comprehend and use the main systems of symbols in any culture. Today, literacy also includes the skill to gain knowledge via modern technology. Literacy in India is one of the major factors contributing to socio-economic progress. After the end of British rule in the year 1947, the rate of Indian literacy had registered gradual growth and had reached 74.04%, based on the census statistics of 2011. Yet this statistics indicates that India ranks below the average global literacy rate, which is 84%.

State wise statistics on Literacy in India:

The above table reveals some interesting facts about literacy rate registered in different states of India. Kerala is the only state in India that shows a 100% rate of literacy. States like Sikkim, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, and Goa are the other states, which follow in this respect. The state of Bihar records the lowest literacy rate in India. It is also essential for everyone to understand as to why the literacy rate seen in India is low when compared to that of other developed countries. The most relevant reason for this is that India’s population is very high. India is reckoned as the 7th largest country in its population and registers 2nd place in world after China. The total population of India is one billion. Especially in the rural areas, the number of educational centres and schools is less. Many people living in villages are poor and they have no knowledge about the availability of free education for their children. Even if schools are there, they are at distant places and the quality of education is very poor. The learning process for such poor children becomes just a distant dream.  

Graphical Representation of Literacy Rate In India (1951-2011)

Current scenario of Indian literacy  

According to the present scenario, it is seen that there is about 10% increase in literacy rate in every decade. Hence, it is estimated that 100% literacy can be gained by the year 2040. Since this growth does not indicate much progress, programs for speeding the literacy rate has to be introduced. It is a fact that even people in developed countries like the UK and the US, are not 100% literate. It has been observed that twenty-percent of school children in these countries are unable to read quite fluently. Moreover, you may find that the illiteracy population of prisoners in the UK and the US vary from forty to fifty percent. Looking into such a paradigm of illiteracy growth in other countries, a real question arises now in one’s mind as to whether India will ever establish 100% literacy in the near future? Some prominent people, however, predict it would be great if India can achieve 80% literacy. So, what can be done to achieve this 100% literacy among the growing Indian population? How and when can it achieve this growth rate of 100%? One of the vital factors that can contribute greatly in this direction is to closely monitor the systems through which one can calculate accurately the change in the rate of literacy in India. It is also required to have audited measurement of these systems so that the situation can be evaluated in realty. 

Gender disparity of literacy rate in India

There is quite a great inequality in the rate of literacy in India. In 2011, 82.14% for men and 65.46% for women were the literacy statistics. The latter’s literacy rate had its negative impact on family planning endeavour carried out in India. The census that was assessed during 2001 to 2011 indicated a positive growth of 11.8% in female literacy rates in comparison to 6.9% in male literacy rates. This happy trend relates to the narrowing of the gender gap. Though this is a good sign, the issues of poverty, health, aids, unemployment, over-population and enhancement in productivity can be resolved when the rate of literate population is very high.

Information Technology for enhancing literacy

Countries like Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China have taken immediate steps for enabling their countries’ entire population to be literate and have also derived excellent results in this direction. However, in India, this is still a distant dream from the last half a century.  New software that has been developed by well known Information Technology Company in India now assists in quickening the ways of teaching Indian languages. Through information technology, 100% literacy is being aimed for the people of India.

Literacy for all

During an international conference, it was stated that more than twenty-crore people have achieved literacy since 2001. It is encouraging to note that more than fifty percent of them were females. The new concept of adult education system in India is now concentrating in providing lifelong education. It is also believed that legislative procedure will be implemented for the integration of informal, non-formal and formal learning. The accreditation, validation and recognition of learning provided by means of adult education will be identified through setting up of equal framework across the nation in a systematic way.

Steps taken by the Government

Some of the concrete steps taken by the Indian government to improve the literacy rate in India are listed below:

• Poor people living in villages and towns will be allowed to enrol for free education programs.

• Establishing new colleges and schools in all district and state levels.

• Committees have been formed to see the utilization of funds allocated for improving the literacy rate in a guaranteed manner.

High lights of other innovative initiatives

Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan and Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan are some of the innovatively developed initiatives that would help in elevating the present literacy scenario of educational sector to greater heights. Sufficient funds have been allocated to monitor and make these programs a success. They are designed not only to boost the literacy rate, but also increase employment opportunities and decrease the poverty line.

Conclusion

The forecast for improvement in the country’s literacy rate according to the government is that it will touch 80% during the current year 2015. Saakshar Bharat mission, an innovative programme, is being launched as an initiative to boost the Indian literacy to new heights. The success of this programme will bring the literacy benefits to 70 million adults. The primary aim of bringing such a programme is to further strengthen and boost adult education, especially for women. With this initiative, it has been predicted that India will certainly achieve total literacy in another decade.