1. SAAKSHAR BHARAT MISSION-2009
PRESENTED BY
MOUSUMI SARKAR

2. INTRODUCTION
Saakshar Bharat, a centrally sponsored scheme was launched on the International Literacy Day, 8th September, 2009 to create a literate society through a variety of teaching learning programmes for non-literate and neo-literate of 15 years and above. Whilst the 2011 census showed that India´s literacy has reached 74.04%, an increase of 9.2% from the 2001 census, the literacy rate of women continues to be significantly lower at 65.46%, compared to men’s rate of 82.14%. The programme´s focus is on reducing this gender disparity and thereby achieving the government´s target of 80% national literacy. Adult education aims at extending educational options to those adults, who have lost the opportunity and have crossed the age of formal education, but now feel a need for learning of any type, including literacy, basic education, skill development and equivalency. At present there is at least one adult education centre in each district in every village.

3. GOALS OF SAAKSHAR BHARAT MISSION
To raise literacy rate to 80%
To reduce gender gap to 10%
Minimize regional and social disparities, with focus on Women, SCs, STs, Minorities, other disadvantaged groups.
All those districts that had female literacy rate below 50% (as per census 2001) including Left Wing Extremism affected districts (irrespective of literacy level) are being covered under the programme.

4. OBJECTIVES The Mission has four broad objectives, namely:
Provide basic literacy and numeracy to non-literate and non-numerate adults.
Provide qualification equivalent to formal educational system and establish learning for neo-literates beyond basic literacy.
Provide Vocational education. Imparting learners with relevant skill development programmes is crucial to improving their working and living conditions.
Promote a learning society by providing opportunities to neo-literate adults for continuing education.

5. TERGETS OF THE MISSION
The principal target of the mission is to impart functional literacy to 70 million adults in the age group of 15 years and beyond. Auxiliary target of the mission is to cover 1.5 million adults under basic education programme and equal number under vocational (skill development) programme. Within these targets, the Mission will primarily focus on, but not limited to, women. Schedules Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) Minorities, other disadvantaged groups and adolescents in rural areas in low literacy States will be other focused groups. For each focused group and area, there will be a specific target and for each target, an explicit approach and strategy.
Category wise Targets under Literacy Programme (Millions)
Category
Male
Female
Total SC 4 10 14 ST 2 6 8
Muslims 12
Others 34 36 60 70

6. PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Adult Education Centres (AEC): Lok Shiksha Kendra The Adult Education Centres are the operational arm of Saakshar Bharat, responsible for the organization and delivery of classes. Adult Education Centres are established in Gram Panchayats (Local Self Government at Village level) on the basis of one per a population of 5,000.
Continuing Education Programmes Ensuring the overall aim to create a learning society is fulfilled, a wide range of Continuing Education Programmes are also organised at the Adult Education Centres, providing the opportunity to sustain literacy through the use of books, media and ICTs.
Programme Execution ICTs such as radio and TV have been utilized to help spread knowledge of the programme among relevant populations. The curriculum includes Core Content (CC) based on the broad National Curricular Framework for Adult Education, and Locally Relevant Content (LRC), which are produced in the locally dominant language.
Professional Development of Personnel Saakshar Bharat must utilize a large number of Volunteer Literacy Educators to help reach the overall target of 70 million literates.

7. TEACHING-LEARNING PROGRAMMES
To respond to the demand for literacy and address the diverse needs of the non and neo- literate adults, an assortment of teaching learning programmes, namely;
Functional Literacy Program
Programme Objectives
Programme Framework
Flexi Approach
Volunteer-based Mass Campaign Approach
Incentives to the Volunteers and Learners
Centre-based Approach
Resident Instructor
Residential Camps
Part-residential Camp – Part-volunteer-based Approach
Basic Education Programme
Vocational Education (Skill Development) Programme
Continuing Education Programme

8. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The efficient management of the Mission is dependent on robust real-time monitoring. Each level of governance is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of all units beneath it. There is great complexity in the managing of Saakshar Bharat due to its magnitude, involving nearly 200,000 implementing agencies. To cover such a large learning base, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed WePMIS, Web Based Planning & Monitoring Information System, a customised web-based system for planning, monitoring and impact analysis. This system allows Adult Education Centres to update information about the progress of each of the courses, tutors and learners online, improving efficiency in evaluations of the programme’s impact. From 2011 all of the online data has been accessible to the public, encouraging engagement and an understanding of progress within a given area. It facilitates citizen feedback through providing information about the enrolled learners, including assessment and certification. Using the online feedback system, the ground situation can be appropriately evaluated and corrective interventions made by the program managers at respective levels. Training has been provided to WePMIS to users at all levels. E-infrastructure such as computer and broadband connectivity up to the block level has been provided. These facilities now need to be extended to the village level.

9. IMPACT
From the programme expanded to 372 districts. The majority of the country’s states have successfully implemented Saakshar Bharat, as per the framework detailed in the Organisational structure section of this report. 170,000 facilities such as libraries and reading areas have been established as part of the Continuing Education phase of the programme. In a period of 3 years, the National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) has assessed and certified 14,438,004 adults for their proficiencies in reading, writing and numeracy. Furthermore, literacy in India is improving. The 2011 census showed literacy in India has increased from 64.84% in 2001 to 74.04% in 2011 and the male-female literacy gap has reduced from 21.59% in 2001 to 16.68% in All areas of India have almost without exception reported a rise in literacy rates from The total number of illiterates has decreased from million to million. Prior to Saakshar Bharat was the National Literacy Mission, from which it developed. As a key implementer for literacy we can say the Saakshar Bharat has been successful.

10. SHAKSHAR BHARAT IN WEST BENGAL
9 districts was included under this program. Later Paschim Medinipur is proposed to be included in the program since it is a left wing extremism affected district.
District Names
Female Literacy Rate
Puruliya
29.57
Uttar Dinajpur
29.93
Maldah
34.16
Murshidabad
39.94
Bankura
43.66
Jalpaiguri
44.63
Birbhum
45.59
Dakshin Dinajpur
46.64
Coochbehar
47.22

11. CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
The Planning Commission in the 12th Five Year Plan ( ) has recommended that the existing programme structures, as well as the resource support bodies, be remodelled, strengthened and further aligned to the goals of lifelong learning and literacy. The programme needs to transform from a literacy ‘mission’ to a regular and permanent system of education for adults. The active involvement of public authorities at all administrative levels would make this more effective. The states play the key role in establishing the necessary network of institutions for this to occur. Volunteers could be given more incentives as they give their time up for long periods to improve adult literacy. There could also be greater active engagement with universities to develop scientific criteria to assess the learning outcomes of adults at the various stages of their development. A consortium of reputed universities and research institutions must be identified and engaged in research for this to take place.

12. SUSTAINABILITY
Provision for adult literacy is made in the national budget under education. Ministries such as the Ministry of Health and Women & Child Development also provide funding. US$1.2 billion was allocated for the Saakshar Bharat programme for its first three years. Actual utilisation of funds, due to a long gestation period of making necessary preparations for implementing the programme, was low. The programme is to be continued during the 12th Five Year Plan ( ) in its original programme framework. A provision of US$0.6 billion for Saakshar Bharat has been made in the 12th Five Year Plan.

13. A STUDY ON IMPACT OF ADULT EDUCATION (SAAKSHAR BHARAT) PROGRAMME IN TAMILNADU
This was implemented initially in seven Districts of Tamilnadu in Dharmapuri, Viluppuram, Thiruvannamalai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Salem & Erode in two phases. Then the scheme has been expanded to another two districts namely Krishnagiri and Tiruppur. The details of the Districts, Blocks and Gram Panchayats are as follows.
Phase-I
Name of the District
No. of Blocks
No of GPs/AEC’s 1
Dharmapuri 08
251 2
Erode 14
230 3
Perambalur 04
121 4
Salem 20
385 5
Viluppuram 22
1104 6
Ariyalur 06
201 7
Thiruvannamalai 18
860
Total 92
3152
Phase-II
Name of the District
No. of Blocks
No of GPs/AEC’s 1
Krishnagiri 6
113 2
Tirupur 10
337

14. Strategy and Process of Implementation
Every Gram Panchayat has been provided with one Adult Education Centre (AECs). Every AEC is managed by two prerace. Mostly, AEC’s are functioning in Primary/ Upper Primary school buildings in every Gram Panchayat.
Strategy and Process of Implementation
Formation of Committees right from the District, Block and Gram
Panchayat level.
Appointment of Functionaries – District /Block co-ordinators at the
District/ Block level and prerace at the Gram Panchayat level.
Training of Functionaries.
Identification of Potential Learners through door to door survey.
Environmental Building/Motivational/Publicity Programmes.
Procurement /Supply of Teaching Learning Materials.
Launching of Adult Education Centres-Teaching Learning phase.
Monitoring of the programme.
Assessment and certification.

15. Functional Status of Adult Education Centres
One of the major objectives of the present investigation is to study the functioning of Adult Education Centres and to identify the infrastructure and other facilities available in Adult Education Centres (AECs) of Saakshar Bharath Programme. Observation Schedule for AECs (OS-AECs) is developed and used to assess the functioning of AECs in this study.
The functional status of the AECs of Saakshar Bharth Programme is assessed and discussed in different headings are as follows.
Timings of the AECs
Totally 38 AECs in four districts are observed in the present investigation. The following table-4.1 shows the functioning timings of the AECs.

16. Percentages of Functioning Timings of the AECs
Variable
Sub-Variable
Percentage
Diagram
AEC
Morning
44.7(17)
Evening
26.3 (10)
Afternoon
28.9 (11)
Total 38

17. Percentages of Attendance of Learners in AECs Classes
Name of the Districts
Name of the Block
Male (%)
Female (%)
SC (%)
ST (%)
Minority (%)
Other (%)
Total (%)
Dharmapuri
Pennagaram
9.25
90.75
1.80
2.50
22.67
73.03
108
Nallamballi
6.25
93.75
12.56
4.67
14.78
67.99
112
Total
7.75
92.25
7.18
3.58
18.72
70.51
220
Erode
Ammapettai
7.69
92.30
20.56
15.34
18.36
45.74 52
Gobi
97.50
19.28
10.76
7.56
62.40 81
5.09
94.90
19.92
13.05
12.96
54.07
133
Thiruvannamalai
25.00
75.00
30.56
17.45
9.65
42.34 84
Thandram pattu
3.21
96.87
26.98
16.18
7.90
48.94 66
14.10
85.90
28.77
16.81
8.77
45.64
150
Viluppuram
Vanoor
13.51
86.49
20.67
6.98
16.28
56.07
111
Mayilam
28.04
71.95
38.78
5.45
9.34
46.43 82
20.77
79.23
29.72
12.81
51.25
193
Overall total
11.92
88.08
21.39
9.92
13.31
55.36
696

18. Percentages of Profile of Learners in AECs of Saakshar Bharath Programme
Variable
Sub-Variable
Percentage
Diagram
Gender
Male
05.10
Female
94.90

19. Variable Sub-Variable Percentage Diagram Variable Sub-Variable
15 to 20 years
0.80
21 to 25 years
06.70
26 to 30 years
20.70
31 to 35 years
20.20
Above 35 years
51.60
Variable
Sub-Variable
Percentage
Diagram
Occupation
Coolie
64.70
Personal Occupation
3.60
Farmer
30.60
Business
0.50
Home Maker

20. Variable Sub-Variable Percentage Diagram
Religion
Hindu
96.90
Muslim
0.80
Christian
02.30

21. Achievement of Learners at the Gram Panchayat Level in AECs
Districts
Male
Female SC ST
Minority
Others
Total
Target
Achieved
Dharmapuri
2832
685
3644
2085
2098
786 00
2097
1856
2281
128
6476
2770
Erode
4785
2632
6689
4865
3071
1840
213 89
8190
5568
11474
7497
Thiruvannamalai
982
855
1564
1680
1340
1310 98 73
543
587
565
2546
2535
Viluppuram
1316
690
2367
1632
1345
847
458
237
334
1546
1238
3683
2322
9915
4862
14264
10262
7854
4783
556
310
3187
2532
12582
7499
24179
15124

22. SOURCES Effective Literacy Programmes › Saakshar Bharat Mission
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