The Centrally Sponsored New India Literacy Programme (NILP) has implemented during five years from the FYs 2022-23 to 2026-27.
The scheme aims to cover a target of 5.00 crore non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above.
For this, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has defined ‘literacy,’ and what it means to achieve ‘full literacy.’
It has stated that the literacy may be understood as the ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension.
It includes to identify, understand, interpret and create along with the critical life skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy etc.
Full literacy is to be considered equivalent to 100% literacy.
Achieving 95% literacy in a State/UT that may be considered as equivalent to fully literate.
According to the Census 2011, India faces a significant literacy challenge, with 25.76 crore non-literate individuals in the 15 years and above age group.
It was comprising 9.08 crore males and 16.68 crore females.
The Saakshar Bharat programme has certified 7.64 crore individuals as literate between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
Still approximately 18.12 crore adults in India remain non-literate.