Education ministry expands definition of ‘literacy’; aims to achieve full literacy by 2030

NEW DELHI: The ministry of education’s department of school education and literacy, has defined ‘literacy’ for Indian context and its objective to achieve full literacy and numeracy by 2030 in line with the renewed push for adult literacy under the New India Literacy Programme (NILP). The ministry stated that literacy means the “to identify, understand, interpret and create, along with critical life skills”.

The ministry further said achieving 95% literacy in a state will be considered equivalent to full literacy, as per the enhanced definition developed through a collaborative process involving NCERT, UNESCO among other subject experts.

The consensus was reached during a recent meeting, chaired by senior educational advisors, highlighting the need for a literacy framework that meets global standards as well as being firmly rooted in India's unique socio-cultural landscape.

Definition of literacy

“Literacy will now be defined as, the ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension, ie., to identify, understand, interpret and create, along with critical life skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy, etc,” the official statement read.

The ministry said that the approach will ensure that “individuals are equipped to fully engage in and contribute to society”.

Stating that the introduction of this definition marks a significant milestone in India's journey towards full literacy, the ministry said: “It reinforces the Government's commitment to ensuring that every citizen has the opportunity to attain the foundational skills necessary for personal and societal advancement along with financial and digital literacy and critical life skills,” it said. It also mentioned the recent achievement of over 97% literacy in UT of Ladakh under the ULLAS scheme.

The Centre also called upon all stakeholders to renew their efforts in promoting literacy and encouraged them to work collaboratively for achieving the shared goal of a fully literate nation.

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Adult education, NEP 2020

“This initiative aligns with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to expedite the attainment of full literacy across all States/UTs under the ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram. This also supports the SDG 4.6 which is about ensuring that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030,” the education ministry said in an official statement. The NILP progromme is a five-year initiative (2022-2027) aiming the onboarding of one crore learners aged above 15 years from across the country.

As per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Adult Education, mentioned in para 21.4, reads: “Strong and innovative government initiatives for adult education - in particular, to facilitate community involvement and the smooth and beneficial integration of technology - will be affected as soon as possible to expedite this all-important aim of achieving 100% literacy.'

“lt underscores the correlation between literacy rates and per capita GDP, highlighting the disadvantages faced by non-literate individuals in various aspects of life, such as financial transactions, job applications, comprehension of media and technology, understanding of rights, and participation in higher productivity sectors,” the ministry added.

In this regard, the department felt the necessity of establishing a comprehensive and inclusive definition of literacy that extended beyond basic reading and writing skills.