Gandhinagar, June 29 (IANS): The ULLAS Navbharat literacy program, a one-of-a-kind initiative under the National Education Policy (NEP), is playing a vital role in empowering rural youth and women by providing elementary education and equipping them with basic functional literacy skills, including reading, writing, and numeracy.
The initiative has yielded excellent results in Gujarat's Mahisagar district, where the youth from marginalized and deprived sections have now learnt to read and write. Today, they feel empowered and liberated from the curse of illiteracy and are feeling more confident about their abilities.
The central scheme, launched by the district administration, covered thousands of people in the first phase of the campaign in Mahisagar, training them in basic and mundane tasks such as banking, post offices, dairy work, and more.
A couple of beneficiaries, sharing their experience with IANS, said they feel enlightened and empowered after being trained under the program.
Maguben said, "Earlier, I could only use a thumbprint (for signatures). Today, I have learned to sign my name. Teachers come and impart various lessons, which helped me pass the exam three times. We have learned to sign; we are very happy about it."
Bhartiben, another learner, said, "I used to struggle with reading the time and counting up to 100. The children taught me both these things. Now, I know how to read a clock and count from one to 100. Additionally, I have learned to read the slips issued when depositing milk at the dairy."
There are a total of 717 villages in Mahisagar district. A survey was conducted in villages where female literacy was below 60 percent, and a total of 4,697 illiterate individuals were identified for education. They were taught for six months by 532 students under the supervision of 126 teachers.
Classes were held in several villages across districts like Pakhi, Pattan, Libodra, and Ranpur. A total of 4,561 individuals took the exam in March, and 4,135 passed.
Mahisagar district collector Arpit Sagar told IANS that the children taught the women during the 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM slot—a time when these women were free from their daily chores. They taught them to read and write, as well as handle banking tasks. The most heartening aspect was the women's enthusiastic participation in this campaign.
The District Collector, announcing the second phase of the campaign, said that a survey will be conducted in villages where the female literacy rate exceeds 60 percent. Subsequently, classes will be held from July 15 to October 15.
The second phase of the 'Ullas Navbharat Literacy Programme' will be implemented to achieve 100 percent literacy in Mahisagar.
Under this initiative, surveys will be conducted in the remaining 347 villages to educate the illiterate population.
Notably, ULLAS promotes social responsibility and a sense of duty ‘Kartavya Bodh’, encouraging learners to access educational content in regional languages via the DIKSHA Portal and the ULLAS mobile app. Certificates are awarded to learners, and volunteer teachers further boost confidence and motivation, driving continuous progress.
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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
