- Govt forms committees to ensure implementation of ‘Sakshar Bharat’

By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 13 Jan: The government has constituted committees to ensure implementation and monitoring of the centrally sponsored ‘Sakshar Bharat’, a literacy programme meant to raise literacy in low literacy districts. The programme would be centrally sponsored to the extent of 75 percent, while the remaining funding would be provided by the state government.
It may be recalled that Uttarakhand has 5 districts with literacy rate of 50 percent or below. These districts are Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Tehri, Bageshwar and Champawat. In Uttarakhand, this programme would be launched later this month only. Under the programme, illiterate youth aged between 15 and 35 years in the identified districts would be provided functional literacy training. This programme would be coordinated by the State Literacy Mission Authority.
During the first phase of the programme, an environment would be created locally in each Gram Panchayat and the survey to locate eligible illiterates would be conducted. The first phase will last till 31 March, 2010. An awareness campaign in this regard will also be launched.
Secretary Education, Dr Rakesh Kumar disclosed that the committees had been constituted at various levels. The State Literacy Mission Authority (SLMA) would be the state level nodal agency for the purpose, with the Education Minister as the Chairperson of the Managing Committee of the SLMA. The Secretary, Education, would be Vice Chairperson of the Committee while the Secretary, Finance, Additional Secretary, Secondary Education, District Magistrates of the districts, Director, School Education, State Project Manager, Literacy Mission among others would be the members of the Managing Committee.
The Director, Adult Literacy/Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, would be the Secretary Member of the Committee. A full time office of the SLMA would be set up, whereby most of the staff would be recruited on deputation basis. This office would prepare a detailed blue-print for the Sakshar Bharat programme and later monitor its implementation. Gram Panchayat and the district level committees would also be set up. The structure for these committees has also been finalised.