Education Ministry defines ‘literacy’,’full literacy’ in push for adult literacy

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Last Updated28/08/2024

School Education Secretary calls for striving to reach full literacy by year 2030; adult literacy programme gets renewed push.

The Government of India has renewed its commitment to adult literacy through the New India Literacy Programme (NILP), a five-year initiative (2022-27) aiming to onboard one crore learners annually across all States and Union Territories.
In a recent letter, the Ministry of Education (MoE) outlined the definition of 'literacy' and the criteria for achieving 'full literacy,' emphasizing the importance of this program in addressing India's significant literacy gap.

The MoE defines literacy as the ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension, extending beyond basic skills to include critical life skills such as digital and financial literacy.
Full literacy, according to the MoE, will be considered achieved when a State or Union Territory reaches 95% literacy, which will be regarded as equivalent to 100% literacy.
To be declared literate under the NILP, a person must pass the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT). In 2023, nearly 40 lakh adult learners took the FLNAT, with over 36 lakh being certified as literate.
However, in 2024, while 34.6 lakh learners appeared for the exam, only 29.5 lakh (85.27%) were certified as literate, a slight drop from the previous year's pass percentage.

The NILP's budget for 2024-25 has been set at ₹160 crore, reflecting the government's recognition of the program's importance. However, budgetary challenges have emerged, as evidenced by the underutilization of funds in previous years.
In 2022-23, only ₹76.41 crore of the allocated ₹160 crore was utilized, and in 2023-24, the allocation was reduced from ₹157 crore to ₹100 crore in the revised budget estimate.

India faces a significant literacy challenge, with Census 2011 data revealing that 25.76 crore individuals aged 15 and above remain non-literate, including 9.08 crore males and 16.68 crore females.
Despite the progress made under the Saakshar Bharat programme, which certified 7.64 crore individuals as literate between 2009-10 and 2017-18, an estimated 18.12 crore adults in India remain non-literate.
Non-literate individuals face numerous disadvantages, including difficulties in financial transactions, job applications, understanding media and technology, and participating fully in higher productivity sectors. The NILP aims to address these challenges, with a target of achieving full literacy by 2030.