"Literacy is a tool that gives dignity and self-confidence to individuals,"said the Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu yesterday while addressing the gathering after conferring the Nehru and Tagore Literacy award which has been instituted by the Indian Adult Education Association. Literacy gives greater freedom to participate in society more actively and access better learning and earning opportunities, he said.
Addressing the problem of illiteracy among one-third population in the world, he said that it is indeed a glaring gap. He said that India has made rapid progress over the last seven decades and the country has tried to ensure universal primary education and literacy. Quoting the 2011 census report, he said that the literacy rate of the country was 73%, with male literacy at 80.9% and female literacy at 64.6%.
He acknowledged the persisting gender gap of 16.3 per cent in literacy and education and said that there was a need to analyze the outcome of the literacy programmes implemented in this country such as Saakshar Bharat so that all the stakeholders can take-up the remaining task in the days to come in a sustainable way, he said.
He asked the government, the civil society, the private sector and the media to work together to create a literate society, a knowledge society & a learning society.
He also said that there was need to rethink education and for schools to review what is taught and how it is taught. Schools and colleges must transform into centres of learning where students experience the joy of learning.
He also said that the country needs to move on from universal functional learning towards skill development and lifelong learning.
He also reminded that 65% of the country's population is 35 years of age or under and by 2020 and it is forecasted to become the youngest country in the world, with a median age of 29 years and said that this is a crucial moment in India's developmental journey. He added that it was necessary to focus on the youth and ensure that they have the requisite skills to shape their futures in the knowledge economy of the 21st century.
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