New India Literacy Programme: Scheme to educate all

The Government of India has approved a new centrally-sponsored scheme, the ‘New India Literacy Programme (नव भारत साक्षरता कार्यक्रम)’ for the period during FYs 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of ‘Education for All’ (erstwhile termed as Adult Education) to align with National Education Policy 2020 and also with that of Budget Announcements FY 2021-22 which mandated to enable increased access of resources, online modules covering the entire gamut of adult education will be introduced.

The following are some of the New India Literacy Programme’s unique features:

• In a four-month cycle, the program will focus on the Basic Literacy component, with priority given to aspirational areas.
• The program will cover both rural and urban regions; state/UT targets and budgets are listed in the Annexure, with specifics in the attached Operational Guidelines. Districts will be given targets by states/UTs.
• For Basic Literacy, the plan will use a flexible approach and new approaches, such as involving school and college students as well as other volunteers from NCC, NSS, and NYKS.
• The Annual Plans of States/UTs will be approved by a Project Approval Board (PAB) at the national level. In PAB meetings, Secretaries of Education will present their Annual Plans, which are based on district plans, on the NIC-developed webpage.
• Convergence with M/o Rural Development (MGNREGA), Skill Development, Culture, Information Technology, Finance, Sports and Youth Welfare (NYK), NCC and NSS programmes, NGOs/Civil Society, and CSR sector projects could be pursued.
• SHGs, Voluntary and User Groups, and other community-based organisations may be encouraged to form and participate.
• The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) will conduct Basic Literacy Assessments for adult learners three times a year.

The New India Literacy Programme’s objectives:

To teach not only Foundational Literacy and Numeracy but also other skills that a citizen of the twenty-first century needs, such as:

• Critical life skills (including financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare);
• Vocational skills development (to obtain local employment);
• Basic education (including preparatory, middle, and secondary stage equivalency); and
• Continuing education is among them (including engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences, technology, culture, sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest for local learners, such as more advanced material on critical life skills).

Implementation of New India Literacy Programme:

• The program will be implemented through internet volunteers.
• Face-to-face training, orientations, and workshops for volunteers will be conducted.
• All materials and resources will be made available digitally for registered volunteers to access via easily accessible digital means such as television, radio, cell phone-based free/open-source apps/portals, and so on.

For further information click on the link: https://nilp.education.gov.in/#/about-us