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Literacy is not a campaign but a national duty: India minister
New Delhi, Sept 9 (IRNA) Indian Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh listing the achievement of the literacy mission, today expressed concern over the literacy rate among the minorities especially the Muslim minorities in a few states.
Speaking at the International Literacy Day function with the theme "Literacy Sustains Development" here today, Arjun Singh said, "Among the 15-35 age group in India, the literacy rate is 71 per cent yet, one third of the world illiterates reside in our country." Singh said the growth of female literacy in the last decade was more than male literacy yet the gender differentials are as high as 30 per cent in some states of the country.
On literacy rates among SCs/STs, the Minister said it has risen dramatically yet female literacy among the Scheduled Tribes is as low as 34.8 per cent.
Arjun Singh said one should not treat literacy mission merely as a campaign but it should become national duty of every citizen to remove illiteracy from the country.
The Minister of State for HRD M.A.A. Fatmi called upon the stakeholders of literacy campaign to focus on women literacy because there are still many districts in country where female literacy is less than 30 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of India, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat while speaking at the International Literacy Day function said that literacy has to be integral to any strategy of planning for poverty alleviation as it is the single biggest hurdle in empowerment of the poor.
Praising the efforts of the National Literacy Mission, the Vice President stressed the need that the effort has to be sustained over a long period of time and till each and every illiterate is fully covered.
He said value education should become integral part to literacy campaigns as it will help children and youth to grow as responsible citizens of modern India.
The Vice President also gave away NLM-UNESCO Award, Satyen Maitra Memorial Literacy Award and the special awards on the occasion. A cultural programme was also organized by States' troupes.
