Rotary to set up 100 schools across India

The Rotary International group will set up 100 schools across India to impart quality education to children, an official of its India unit said Thursday.

Total literacy in India was still a dream and Rotarians have taken a pledge to reach the much-coveted milestone of 100 percent literacy by 2017, Sekhar Mehata, convenor of Rotary India and the South Asia Literacy Summit, told the media here.

The South Asian Literacy Summit will be held Dec 14-15.

He said India can be called developed only if there is 100 percent literacy in the country.

Buoyed by the success of "end polio programme", which has resulted in 100 percent eradication of polio from India, he said Rotary International will make efforts to eradicate illiteracy in the country.

He also said 100 schools will be started in various parts of the country to impart quality education to children.

Film stars Kabir Bedi, Ravi Kissen and Mrinal Kulkarni, tabla maestro Bickram Ghosh and former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia will be present at the summit.