Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Someone has rightly said that ‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever’. 8th September is celebrated as International Literacy day. In 1966, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed this day as International Literacy Day, sometimes called World Literacy Day. The intention was to remind people all over the world that the ability to read and write should not be taken for granted. An effort has been made for literacy rates to be increased. Literacy serves as the foundation of basic education for all. The knowledge of social conventions combined with problem-solving capacities of people is what determines them as being literate. Literacy reflects the socio-economic and cultural set-up of a nation, ethnic group or community. Literacy is essential not only for the eradication of poverty, but also for mental isolation for cultivating peaceful and friendly international relations and for permitting the free play of demographic processes as well. That literacy is the basic requirement of economic development has been recognized throughout the world and hence literacy has reached around 99 per cent in countries of Japan, South Korea, USA, UK, Germany, France, etc.
Literacy in India is marked with a great amount of regional variation from one part to another. The regional variation in literacy levels in the country has resulted from the regional diversity in various social, cultural and economic attributes along with a marked difference in the historical experience of different regions. The National Literacy Mission was set up by Government of India on May 5th, 1988 with the aim to eradicate illiteracy from the country. In this modern world, the ability for people to read and write has been directly connected to reduced poverty, improved socio-economic status, reduced population growth, minimized child and maternal mortality rates, and balancing out gender and equality on a sustainable level. The Constitution of India recognizes the importance of education for all. Therefore, it lays down several provisions to ensure proper and effective implementation of educational rights in the country. An illiterate man is generally exploited by the clever men in the society. They take full advantage of his ignorance of the language or wisdom. The illiterate men become like dancing dolls at the hands of the clever persons. They suffer in many ways in life. An illiterate man is generally exploited by the clever men in the society. They take full advantage of his ignorance of the language or wisdom. According to the report published by the National Survey of India, the Literacy Rate of India in 2022 is 77.7 per cent. The literacy rate in 2011 was 73 per cent. There is an increase of 4 per cent compared to the last census data. With regard to literacy level, Kerala occupies the first position in the country. Although, the state does not rank very high in terms of economic development, it has occupied a leading position in literacy transition in the country. Over 90 per cent of the population aged 7 years and above is literate in the state. Every person in the society should try to become literate. If it was not possible in an early age, a grown-up man can yet learn how to read and write in his advanced stage of life. Literacy will help him also in gaining common knowledge in various subjects, which will make him a ‘complete man’. Now-a-days, the Indian government has taken a literacy drive all over the country. They are sending teachers into the remote corners of the villages of India in order to educate the people, irrespective of their age or profession. There is no doubt that when illiteracy will be removed completely, India will be a new country where 100 per cent people can participate in all programs of economic development.
