India to achieve 80% literacy rate by 2015: Pallam Raju

HRD has also announced setting up of new committee to go into quality aspect of Mid Day Meal Scheme nationwide

India is to achieve 80% literacy rate in the next two years, said Human Resource Development Minister M M Pallam Raju. As per the 2011 census the literacy rate of India is 73% and more than 20 crore people have become literates since the last census of 2001 out of which more than half of them are females.

According to a press release, the HRD Minister, said that to achieve the goal of 80% literacy by 2015, his ministry is restructuring the entire adult education system in the country with a paradigm shift to lifelong education.

Further, Raju also announced that an appropriate administrative and if required legislative process will be initiated to integrate formal, non-formal and informal learning and to formally recognize forms of education other than formal. The minister also clarified that recognition, validation and accreditation of learning obtained through adult education will be formalised by setting up equivalency framework.

Stressing on the fact that the government is keen to continuously improve the quality of adult learning, the HRD Minister added that a Core Curriculum Framework for adult education has been developed and is currently undergoing consultative process.

“The Framework will address total quality management in adult literacy. Full support will be given to adult education by providing adequate resources including funding, research complemented by knowledge management systems and through other innovative means including use of computer ICT as a medium of instruction,” he added.

The HRD Ministry, has also announced setting up a new committee to go into the quality aspect of the Mid Day Meal Scheme nationwide. The HRD minister also said mid day meal Scheme is very important for promoting primary education in the country. Raju also said that Bihar was alerted about unsatisfactory quality of food served in government schools in 12 districts and the worst affected Saran district was one of them.