the revised scheme and it would be possible to make about 10. 00 million persons literacte through the programme to be implemented by the voluntary agencies. The requirements of fund for meeting the expenditure on this scheme during the 8th Five Year Plan are expected to be of the order of Rs.139.00 crores.

(x) Strengthening of administrative Structure :

This is a centrally sponsored scheme for creation of administrative structures at the state and district levels for planning, implementing, supervising and coordinating the work relating to adult education in the State/UT as a whole. Each State/UT is categorised into different categories depending on the size of the adult education programme in operation in that State/UT. Expenses on the salary and other items of expenditure incurred at state and district levels are reimbursed by the central government. It is proposed that the number of posts sanctioned at various levels may be reduced as and when a State/UT or majority of the districts in a State/UT or majority of the districts in a State/UT achieves the status of total literacy and post-literacy campaign has been in operation for two years after conclusion of total literacy campaign. The total requirement of funds for meeting expenditure under this scheme would be of the order of Rs.34.00 crores.

(xi) Directorate of Adult Education :

The Directorate of Adult Education is a subordinate office of this Department. It is a National Resource Centre and functions as the academic and technical wing of the Department. It provides guidance and

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leadership to the State Resource Centres and the District Resource Units for preparing teaching/learning materials of acceptable standard and quality. It also imparts training to high level functionaries. It is also engaged in providing media support for the programme. The Directorate would continue providing these inputs for the programme during the 8th Five Year Plan, the Directorate of Adult Education would discharge some specific responsibilities which inter-alia include monitoring and the implementation of NLM, materials' surveillance and standardisation, providing media and communication support to NLM, bringing out publications on various aspects of the programme, functioning as nodal agency at the national level to monitor and coordinate all the training programmes, implementing the scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeth, continuous support to voluntary agencies and implementation of population education programme and programmes for non-formal education funded by the UNFPA and UNICEF. The requirement of funds for meeting the expenditure on the salary of staff working in the Directorate of Adult Education and for taking up the activities indicated above, during the 8th Five Year Plan, is estimated to be of the order of Rs.14.50 crores.

(xii) National Institute of Adult Education :

The National Institute of Adult Education (NIAE) is an academically independent, administratively autonomous, professionally competent and highly specialised body set up in January, 1991. The NIAE has been conceived as an with an institute with an academic and research orientation. The principal responsibility

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of NIAE would be to take up good quality research work as also specialised programmes of human resource development in the field of adult education. In addition, the NIAE will provide technical and academic support in areas relating to evaluation, training, research, planning and management, linguistics, media, communication comparative studies etc. The Institute which at present is a small and compact body, would be further strengthened during the 8th Five Year Plan. The requirement of funds for meeting the expenditure on the salary of staff appointed/to be appointed in the Institute and the activities to be taken up by the Institute during the 8th Five Year Plan is of the order of Rs.17.50 crores.

(xiii) Cultural Exchange Programme :

A number of countries implement the adult education programme. It would be beneficial if the different countries learn from each other's experience. This sharing of information and knowledge can be obtained through exchange of books and publications as also visits by delegations from both the countries. The most appropriate means of all such cooperation is through the Cultural Exchange Programme which is signed with various countries. such visits help in enriching the knowledge of functionaries as also in improving the quality of our programme. Such exchanges would continue to be promoted during the 8th Five Year Plan also. An outlay of Rs.0.50 crores is proposed for this purpose.

5.5 Monitoring and Evaluation

5.5.1 A comprehensive computerised management information

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system is in the process of being developed for monitoring the progress under the Total Literacy Campaign as well as the other programmes to be implemented during the 8th Five Year Plan for achieving the objective of imparting literacy to 100.00 million persons in the country. The programme would also to be concurrently evaluated by the Institute of Social Sciences and Research and other bodies and action would be taken to remedy the difficulties that may have been faced in the implementation of this programme. Teams of eminent educationists, adult educators, journalists, etc. would also be sent to visit the campaign districts to review the pace and progress of the campaigns.

5.5.2 It may be mentioned that the developments that have taken placed after the launching of the NLM in general, and through the total. literacy campaigns during the last two years in particular, emphasise the need for organising time bound programme for eradication of illiteracy in a specified time frame and harnessing all resources i.e governmental agencies, voluntary agencies, academic groups, teachers, students, etc. for a final assault against illiteracy and on post literacy and continuing education in the perspective of life-long learning. Time is of real essence in a Mission. The Mission has already achieved the take-off stage and cannot be allowed to suffer for achieving its objectives on account of financial constraints. A positive country wide demand for literacy having been generated, the supply side cannot afford to lag behind. Keeping in view all these considerations estimates amounting to Rs. 1746.82 crores

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for being provided for adult education in the central sector during the 8th Five Year Plan period are the bearest minimum and need to be provided for.

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