UGC asks universities to make it mandatory for students to teach at least 5 non-literates

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) asked all higher educational institutes to make it mandatory for students to teach at least five or more non-literates in an academic year. It also suggested measures to implement the New India Literacy Programme launched by the ministry of education.

The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) recommendations include strong and innovative government initiatives for adult education to expedite the aim of achieving 100% literacy.

Last month, minister of state for education Annpurna Devi in a written reply in the Lok Sabha informed that the government has allocated a total financial outlay of Rs 1037.90 crore for the five year New India Literacy Programme (NILP) 2022-23 to 2026-27. The Centre in February 2022 approved the NILP.

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New India Literacy Programme

Qualified community members including from HEls as part of each HEIs mission were asked to engage with their local communities and to take short training courses and volunteer, as adult literacy instructors.

To accelerate the objectives of adult education, the UGC has suggested measures to be taken by the universities.

• The students can take on to teach 3-4 non-literates of 15 years and above per year voluntarily toward this end and appropriate credits in the Credit Framework for this activity may be considered.
• All universities with department of adult education, continuing education, Lifelong learning, extension may include mandatory teaching of at least 5 or above non-literates by students in every academic year in their course work as a project or assignment fbr compilation of their degree.
• HEIs may include certain credits for their activity. The credit may be given after the learner under them gets 'literate' certificate.
• Students can be trained by the HEls to carry out the activities as per the guidelines of NILP.