Mass Movement Must To Spread Literacy, Says Gujral

Prime Minister IK Gujral yesterday that no student, who completed 10+2, will be given the certificate until the candidate produces proof of having taught five illitrates, including two girls, how to read and write.

Let us keep on stepping up the number at college and university levels to provide a mass base to the literacy campaign, the prime minister said while addressing the 31st anniversary celebrations of International Literacy Day here.

Announcing governments decision to give highest priority to the literacy campaign, he said, once we are able to rid the entire nation of the stranglehold of illiteracy, India will have launched itself on a passage to greatness.

While laying stress for making the literacy drive a peoples movement by stepping up voluntary efforts, the prime minister said every citizen should consider his duty to make one person literate in a year.

The function was aslo addressed by the President, KR Narayanan and the human resource developoment minister, SR Bommai.

The President also gave away awards to three districts Sikar and Pali of Rajasthan and Sangla of Maharashtra for their outstanding performance in the field of literacy.

Gujral said Gandhiji had given a golden mantra of each one teach one in 1941 and said the great leader knew that the light of literacy could be spread only through peoples movement.

Referring to his independence day announcement regarding girl child, Gujral said the government will implement the scheme from October 2 coinciding with Gandhijis birth day.

This scheme, which contains various safeguards, would also ensure that education of the girl child is taken care of by the government.

The government has decided to make primary education a fundamental right, he said and added that the most important thing was to make schools function effectively, constructively and also result-oriented particularly in the villages.

The human resource development minister, SR Bommai, said the government has taken the initiative to bring about an amendment of the Constitution so as to make the right to free and compulsory education for children between six and 14 years.

My initiative has resulted in the preparation of a historic bill which I propose to take before Parliament very shortly, Bommai said.

He also suggested levying of education cess to raise funds for achieving the goal of universalisation of elementary education in the country.