(b) Banks Some of the nationalised banks like State Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, United Commercial Bank, Allahabad Bank and the overseas Bank have responded positively to the appeal issued by DG, NLM. Employees of some of these nationalised banks have already taken up literacy work on a totally voluntary basis due to the encouragement and support extended by the concerned nationalised banks. A Co-ordination committee has been formed in Andhra Pradesh under the chairmanship of Sri. M. Ramkrishnaya, former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India and former Chairman NABARD to work out the modalities in this regard.
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(c)Railways-:The Railways continued to run 600 adult education centres in nine zones for railway employees and illiterate members of their families. While expenditure on literacy kits and training of instructors was met by NLMA, the recurring expenditure on running of centres was met by the Railways.
(d) Ex-servicemen A performance related scheme (where payment is linked with results) with involvement of ex-servicemen was introduced in 37 blocks of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh in 1989-90 and continued in 1990-91. A review of the functioning of the scheme of involvement of ex-servicemen was undertaken in a meeting of Secretaries of Rajya Sainik Boards held on 10th December, 1990.
(e) Other Non-Governmental Organisations The Committee of Resource Organisations (CORO) for MPFL, a voluntary agency based in Bombay has taken up a project titled 'Combat Illiteracy' in five regions of Trombay - Dharavi belt of Bombay City covering 15,550 illiterates, mainly with the assistance of students, non-student youth and volunteers drawn from a number of voluntary agencies.
8.7.2 A project which is much larger in scale of operation for total eradication of illiteracy in the city of Bombay is proposed to be launched in 1991-92 under the auspices of SAHAS (Saksharata Haq Samiti) to be registered as an autonomous body. A preparatory planning meeting was held at Bombay on 2nd March 91 which was attended amongst others by Education Secretary, Government of India, Education Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, DG, NLM and about 100 social and educational activists and media personnel. Further modalities of the campaign are being worked out.
Post Literacy and Continuing Education-: 8.8.1 The objective of a post literacy and continuing education is two-fold namely (a) to continue, reinforce, sharpen and refine the skills acquired at the basic literacy stage to improve and enrich the overall quality of life of the neoliterates; and (b) effectively arrest their relapse into the world of illiteracy. This objective is sought to be achieved by providing an institutional framework which will provide the neoliterates an access to the wide world of information, communication, innovation, modernisation and skills.
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8.8.2 Such an objective is being fulfilled to a large extent by establishment of Jana Shikshan Nilayams (JSNs) all over the country in a phased manner under the NLM. These are expected to take up activities like conducting of evening classes for upgradation of literacy and numeracy skills, organising Charcha Mandals, conducting short duration training programmes, disseminating development information and organising other cultural and recreational activities.
8.8.3 Starting with 10,065 JSNs in 1987-88, 32,318 JSNs had been sanctioned by the end of March, 1991 to cover the adult education centres being run under the Rural Functional Literacy Project, State Adult Education Programme, voluntary agencies, centres run by the universities, Department of Adult and Continuing Education and Nehru Yuvak Kendras. Of these 22,691 had already become operational and the remaining were in the process of being operationalised. A large number of titles for reading material for JSNs have been designed by State Resource Centres, National Book Trust, Central Institute of Indian Languages etc. Detailed guidelines regarding approach to material production, content of the reading material, norms for preparation of books, pricing, selection and distribution of material etc. have been issued to all State Governments and other agencies so that the JSNs are operationalised and run in a manner which will fulfil their manifold objectives. All State Governments have also been requested to utilise JSNs as centres for disseminating information relating to development departments and to advise the concerned agencies dealing with programmes like health, family planning, cooperatives, agriculture, animal-husbandry, rural development etc. to associate themselves in the functioning of JSNs by way of arranging exhibitions, conduct of short duration training programmes, providing information which are of direct interest and relevance to the lives of neo-literates and arranging discussions with the local community about the benefits that are available/could become available to them under one or the other scheme(s) of the Central or State Governments. As on date as many as 25 to 30 million learners (both children and adults) have been covered as the target groups in total literacy campaigns launched in different parts of the country. They are expected to come out of the campaigns as neoliterates by May, 1991. A Sub-Committee of the National Literacy Mission Authority was set up under the chairmanship of Shri Satyen Moitra to design a framework as well as recommend the content and process of post literacy and continuing education for these neo-literates. The Committee has already submitted its report.
Academic and Technical Resource Support 8.9.0 Nineteen State Resource Centre set up during the seventies continued to function to provide (a) academic and technical resource support and (b) media support to the adult education programme all over the country. Majority of them are in the voluntary sector and this has facilitated such support in a
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climate of freedom and flexibility so vital to the success of a non- formal programme like adult education. The SRCs have made a valuable contribution to the Mission by designing basic teaching learning materials based on the technique of IPCL as also Post-Literacy and Continuing Education materials, by conducting training of large number of functionaries of the programme, by issuing guidelines on evaluation and taking up several innovative projects to improve, enrich and strengthen the content and quality of the Adult Education Programme.
Technology Demonstration 8.10.1 With a view to harnessing the findings of scientific and technological research to improve the pace and quality of the programme and to create a better teaching/learning environment, forty- two districts have been identified for development, transfer and application of scientifically tested and proven technopedagogic inputs. A Technology Panel constituted under the chairmanship of Dr. Ram K. Ayengare, Additional Director General, C.S.I.R during 1988-89 to advise National Literacy Mission Authority on the R&D for the Techno-Pedagogic Inputs as well as to identify the collaborating agencies to take up research and development work' for such inputs continued to function till August, 1990.
8.10.2 Research and development work for designing an improved hurricane lantern, developing improved chalks, design, manufacture and use of chargeable solar power packs in unelectrified adult education centres, micro computer-based multi-script display system, developing improved black boards, etc. was completed by various collaborating agencies in majority of the cases. Out of two thousand solar power packs expected to be installed in Technology Demonstration (TD) districts through various agencies, over 1800 have already been installed at various places.
8.10.3 The project "Vivek Darpan" taken up in hundred villages in TD districts of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to use video-based information for dissemination to rural population also continued to be implemented. The project is expected to be enlarged to cover two hundred villages from next financial year and would also cover various other aspects relating to health, science, rural development, agricultural extension, etc.
Evaluation of Adult Education Programme 8.11.1 There are two aspects of evaluation namely (a) Evaluation of Learning Outcome; and (b) Impact Evaluation. Under the first, an improved design has been evolved which has been built into the new technique of Improved Pace and Content of Learning (IPCL), which apart from heightening motivation of the learners through self evaluation also seeks to make evaluation simple, non-threatening and credible.
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8.11.2 Under the second, as many as thirty five institutes of social science and research and management institutes have been identified to take up external evaluation of both, adult and nonformal education programmes. Of these, twenty seven agencies have already been entrusted with the task of impact evaluation of the adult education programme in seventeen States/Union Territories. Fourteen final reports have already been received from these agencies by the end of December 1990 and five more are expected to be received by March, 1991. The governing principle of this evaluation is that it is participative, corrective (not fault finding), continuous and recurrent. On the basis of the evaluation reports received from time to time necessary corrective measures are being initiated with the help of implementing agencies.
8.11.3 Thirty seven Shramik Vidyapeeths (SVPs) continued to function in 1990-91 in different industrial and urban centres of the country. They represent an institutional framework for offering non- formal, adult and continuing education and polyvalent training programmes to industrial workers, to their family members, self- employed members and prospective workers, etc. Of them, one SVP at Delhi is being run by the Central Government, three SVPs by universities, twenty three by autonomous bodies and the remaining ten by State Governments.
8.11.4 Prior to conducting a programme or starting a course, a socioeconomic profile and work plan for operationalisation of activities are designed by all the SVPs. Such profiles help in having a proper understanding of the manpower needs of the clientele and the resources which can be mobilised for achieving the desired object. The programmes conducted by the SVPs have helped all sections of the society living in urban, semi-urban and industrial areas such as illiterate, semi-literate, skilled, semiskilled and unskilled. These programmes have also been of special advantage to the weaker sections of society such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, physically and orthopaedically handicapped and women in distress. Activities of SVPs are also being reoriented to provide for total eradication of illiteracy in the areas covered by them in a definite time frame. The scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeths has been reviewed by an expert group constituted by this Ministry under the chairmanship of Director- General (NLM) and the Committee has since submitted its report on the basis of which the existing scheme of SVPs has been reviewed and revised and is awaiting the approval of Government.
World Literacy Day (8th September, 1990) and International Literacy
Year 8.12.1 The Silver Jubilee of World Literacy Day was observed throughout the country to mobilise public opinion in favour of literacy. At the national level the Day was observed at a function held in New Delhi with the former Prime Minister Shri V.P Singh as the chief guest. He appealed to all sections of the
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society to participate wholeheartedly in the literacy endeavour so that the curse of illiteracy could be wiped out from the country for all times to come. In particular, he appealed to the youth to make at-least five illiterates literate. A special postage stamp on literacy and a set of publications were also released to mark the occasion. At the State, District, subdivision and block levels, International Literacy Day was observed at various functions involving Government, non-Governmental organisations, representatives of the people, representatives of political parties, voluntary agencies, social activists, teachers, students, women, youth etc. Reports received from the major States indicate that the functions organised to mark the literacy day were graced by the Governors, Chief Ministers and Ministers In-charge of Education.
8.12.2 On the recommendation of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize was awarded by UNESCO to Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), Trivandrum a voluntary non-Government organisation in Kerala working primarily to establish an inter-face between science and society. The UNESCO award for literacy is given in recognition of the service of institutions, organisations or individuals for their outstanding contribution in the fight against illiteracy. The award was received by Shri C.G. Santha Kumar on behalf of the KSSP at Geneva on the occasion of the 42nd World Education Conference on 8th September, 1990 coinciding with the International Literacy Day.
SAARC Meeting on Literacy, Post Literacy and Continuing Education
8.13.0 A meeting of the SAARC countries was held in New Delhi from 15th to 18th June, 1990 to prepare a two year plan of action on literacy, post-literacy and continuing education. Participants from six member countries of Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the meeting which unanimously elected DG, NLM (the nominee of India) as the Chairman. Besides presentation and discussion of country reports, the meeting also discussed a status paper 'Towards Regional Strategy for Eradication of Illiteracy in SAARC Countries' prepared by India. The meeting underlined the need for member-countries to have necessary political will and commitment to literacy and formulate a clear policy for adult education. It also emphasised commitment by every member on a certain minimum and pre- determined level of functional literacy and designing of appropriate tools to achieve this objective. Among the major recommendations of the meeting are setting up of National Resource Centres in each country, especially of SAARC Regional Resource Centre, exchange of programmes between members, joint production of TV programme etc.
Other International and UNESCO Matters 8.14.1 In the wake of the Conference on 'Education for All' held at Jomtien (Thailand) from 5th to 9th March, 1990 and the
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World Declaration adopted thereunder, initiatives were taken to formulate Bihar Education Project with UNICEF funding, Basic Education for all in Rajasthan with assistance from SIDA and Basic Education of All in Uttar Pradesh project with assistance from the World Bank.
8.14.2 Director General, National Literacy Mission participated in the Second Meeting for Regional Cooperation of APPEAL (Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All) from 23rd to 27th October, 1990 and in the meeting of senior officials on programme of action in support of 'Education for All' organised by ESCAP in Bangkok from 29th to 31st October, 1990. He was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the first meeting.
8.14.3 Director, Directorate of Adult Education participated in the international symposium on 'Literacy and Development of Asia, and the Planning Meeting on Asia-Pacific Joint Production Programme of Materials for Neo-literates in Rural Areas, held in Tokyo from 11th to 15th March, 1990. She also attended an international conference on "World Literacy in the year 2000 A.D. : Research and Policy Dimensions, organised by the Universities of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA) from 4th to 7th October, 1990.
8.14.4 Director (Adult Education) in the Department of Education participated in the Technical Exchange Programme in Population Education, organised by UNESCO at Islamabad (Pakistan) from 8th to 13th October, 1990. Deputy Director (Population Education) in Directorate of Adult Education also participated in the same programme organised at Kathmandu during the same period. Both of them represented India in the second part of the programme held in New Delhi from 14th to 27th October, 1990.
8.14.5 Additional Director, Directorate of Adult Education participated in the UNESCO sponsored programme on expansion of skill- based literacy programme for women and girls organised at Bangkok, Chiangmai and Chiangrai (Thailand) from 1st to 15th December, 1990.
8.14.6 Joint Director, Directorate of Adult Education, participated in the Regional Consultative Seminar on Population Education held at PROAP, Bangkok (Thailand) from 21st to 28th May, 1990.
8.14.7 Consultant (Training) in the Directorate of Adult Education participated in the training seminar for literacy personnel organised by UNESCO Regional Office in Bangladesh from 2nd to 16th January, 1991, as a resource person.
8.14.8 Under Secretary (Adult Education) in the Department of Education attended the UNESCO Expert Group meeting on 'Development of Materials on Population Education' organised at Kathmandu from 3rd to 7th December, 1990.
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8.14.9 Smt. Tillotama Barooah, Additional Director (Adult Education) Government of Assam attended a workshop on 'Planning Strategies for Literacy and Non-formal Education' held in Quezen City, Philipines from 2nd to 8th September, 1990.
Media and communication: 8.15.0 The role of Media in the National Literacy Mission is perceived and is being conceptualised in two ways namely (a) media as a tool of environment building, and (b) media for spreading the message of literacy and for actual imparting of literacy. The central thrust of all communications and media activities is, thus, to transform the present government programme into a truly national mass movement and a societal mission. During 1990-91, particularly in the wake of International Literacy Year and launching of mass campaigns at several. places, many interesting and exciting developments took place in this area. Some of them are as under :-
(a) Production of Software/Programme Materials by
Directorate of Adult Education : Several high-quality motivational films/video programmes were produced and telecast nationally and distributed to the State Resource Centres, State Directorates of Adult Education and prominent voluntary agencies. Films to orient and train adult education functionaries and field workers were also produced. A major software preparation project was production of forty episode TV serial titled CHAURAHA, a programme which combines literacy and education with entertainment using computer animation, puppets and a live- action narrative. Other productions undertaken during the year include a series of documentaries on the total literacy campaigns being undertaken in different parts of the country. 'DHAI AKHAR', a set of five half-hour films for use in instructors training, was completed during the year. Another set of training films on the area-focussed campaign approach to planning adult education projects is also under preparation.