New India Literacy Programme

In News

• Government has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, “New India Literacy Programme” (NILP) for implementation during five years from the FYs 2022-23 to 2026-27.

About

• The scheme aims to cover a target of 5.00 crore non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above. 
• The Scheme has five components: (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, (ii) Critical Life Skills, (iii) Vocational Skills Development, (iv) Basic Education and (v) Continuing Education.
• The beneficiaries under the scheme are identified through door to door survey on Mobile App by the surveyors in the States/UTs. 
• The non-literate can also avail the benefit of the scheme through direct registration from any place through mobile app. The scheme is mainly based on volunteerism for teaching and learning. 
• The scheme is based on technology and implemented predominantly through online mode. The teaching learning material and resources have been made available on the DIKSHA platform of NCERT and can be accessed through the mobile-apps.

Foundational literacy

• FLN is a person’s ability to read basic texts and solve basic math problems (such as addition and subtraction).
• Issues
  • Improvement in school infrastructure, uniforms, toilet access, water and textbook availability, classroom processes remain a challenge.
  • Lack of direct funds to schools, teacher vacancies, allocation of non-teaching tasks to teachers negatively affects the education.
  • A systematic way of recruiting good teachers and establishing teacher development institutions is still absent.
  • Poor governance affects the effectiveness of face-to-face or digital teacher development initiatives like Nishtha, Pratham’s Read India campaign, etc.
• Initiaives:
  • Nipun Bharat: it was launched with a vision to ensure universal literacy and numeracy for Class 3 children by 2026-27.
    • It envisaged a five-tier implementation mechanism, set up at the National- State- District- Block- School level in all States and UTs, under the aegis of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha.
  • NEP 2020 – The National Education Policy (NEP):  It has provisions for National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools.
    • It also aims to identify state-wise targets and goals to be achieved by 2025.

Way ahead

• The foundational literacy can be further improved with use of technology, decentralization of funds and making the community a participant in the process.

Source: PIB