बहादुरी का नुस्खा

सहीराम
कायरों की संख्या दिनों-दिन बढ़ती ही चली जा रही थी। हालांकि खुद कायर ऐसा नहीं चाहते थे कि उनकी संख्या बढ़े। वे कोई साधु-संत 
तो थे नहीं, जिनके बारे में एक हरियाणवी कहावत यूं है कि मोडा अपणा ही पंथ बढ़ावै। वे कोई भाजपाई जमात भी नहीं थे कि मिस 
कॉल तक से अपने संदस्यों की संख्या बढ़ाने में लगे रहें। कायरों की दिनों-दिन बढ़ती इस संख्या को देखकर बहादुरों के दिल में शोले 
धधक रहे थे और उनकी बाजुएं फड़कने रही थी। पर बाजुएं फड़काने का फायदा कोई नहीं हुआ। क्योंकि हाथ में तलवार ना हो तो बाजुओं 
का फड़कना, आंख फड़कने से ज्यादा महत्व नहीं रखता। 
पर तलवार नहीं तो क्या, उनके पास जुबान तो थी। सो तलवार की बजाय वे कायरों के खिलाफ जुबान ही चलाने लगे। जुबान के बारे में 
कहा जाता है कि उसमें कोई हड्डी तो होती नहीं, सो उसे चाहे कैसे ही पलट लो। इससे जुबान से फिरनेवाले आखिर में विजयी साबित 
होते हैं और जिसे मर्द की जबान वगैरह कहा जाता है उसकी पोल खुल जाती है और वे पिट जाते हैं। वैसे भी जमाने में यह कहावत तो 
मिलती है कि कलम तलवार से ज्यादा मार करती है, पर जुबान तलवार से ज्यादा काम कर जाए, ऐसी कोई कहावत नहीं मिलती। 
अलबत्ता यह जरूर कहा जाता है कि तलवार का घाव भर जाता है,पर जुबान का दिया घाव नहीं भरता। भाई ज्यादा प्राब्लम हो तो 
डायबिटीज वगैरह चैक करा लेना चाहिए।
वैसे बताते हैं कि पहले तलवार ज्यादा कारगर ढ़ंग से चलानेवालों को ही राज मिलता था, पर आजकल राज उनको मिलता है जिन्हें 
जुबान ज्यादा कारगर ढ़ंग से चलानी आती है। इधर के चुनावों में यह साबित भी हो गया कि जुबान चलानेवालों से कलम चलानेवाले भी 
हार जाते हैं। पर ऐसा भी नहीं है कि इन जुबान चलानेवालों को तलवार चलानी नहीं आती। गुजरात के दंगों में वे यह साबित कर चुके हैं 
कि झुंड में हों तो ये तलवार, छुरे वगैरह भी खूब चला सकते हैं। 
खैर बहादुरों ने मौका देखा और उन्होंने तलवार चलाने की बजाय जुबान के कारगर हथियार का ही इस्तेमाल किया और वे कायरों की 
लानत-मलानत करने लगे। बात बढ़ती देखकर एक दिन प्रदेष के कायरों का एक प्रतिनिधिमंडल बहादुरों के सिरमौर बनने की कोशिश कर 
रहे मंत्री महोदय के पास जा पंहुचा। पर आश्चर्य किंतु सत्य की तरह मंत्रीजी ने उनके आने का सबब जानने से पहले ही उनकी प्रषंसा
करनी षुरू कर दी। बोले-तुम बहादुर हो। जैसे वे उन्हें अपनी पार्टी में शामिल करने के लिए बहला-फुसला रहे हों। पर कायर उन पार्टियों 
के नेताओं की तरह तो थे नहीं, जो चुनाव के वक्त फिसलकर उन्हें फुसलानेवाली बहादुरों की पार्टी में चले गए थे। शायद इसीलिए कायरों 
के प्रतिनिधिमंडल को कुछ समझ में नहीं आया। 
पर जी-कायरों के प्रतिनिधिमंडल ने कहा-आप तो कह रहे थे कि हम कायर हैं। हमें भी यह सुविधाजनक लगा तो हमने भी मान लिया 
था कि हम कायर हैं। पर अब जब मैं कह रहा हूं कि तुम बहादुर हो, तो तुम्हें अब भी बिना चूं-चपड़ किए यह भी मान लेना चाहिए कि 
तुम बहादुर हो। अच्छा बताओ किसलिए आए? जी जब आपने हमें कायर कहा तो कायदे से तो हमारा खून खौलना चाहिए था, वैसे ही 
जैसे जब आप हिंदुओं को कायर कहते हैं तो उनका खून खौलने लगता है। बहादुर मंत्री ने सोचा चलो लाइन पर आ रहे हैं। उन्होंने कहना 
चाहा कि हम तो हिंदुओं को कायर कहते ही इसलिए हैं कि उनका खून खौले और हम अगला नारा लगा सकें-जिस हिंदू का खून ना 
खौले, खून नहीं वह पानी है। 
पर कायरों ने बहादुर मंत्री को कुछ कहने का मौका ही नहीं दिया। यूं कहने को यह भी कहा जा सकता है-खून है यार, चाय तो है नहीं, 
कितना खौलाओगे। और यह कोई चाय पर चर्चा भी नहीं थी। फिर हाई बी पी की शिकायत लोगों में वैसे ही बहुत बढ़ती जा रही है। खैर, 
कायर कह रहे थे- तो जी, जब आपने हमें कायर कहा तो हमें बड़ी षर्म आयी-कायरों ने एक सुर से कहा-हमने सोचा लानत है हमारे 
कायर होने पर। बहुत सोच-विचार के बाद हमने तय किया कि चलो चलकर आपसे बहादुरी का नुस्खा पूछते हैं और बहादुर हो जाते हैं। 
पर अब तो आपने खुद ही मान लिया कि हम बहादुर हैं तो अब जरूरत नहीं रह गयी है बहादुरी का नुस्खा जानने की। फिर भी अगर 
आप बता दें कि आप बहादुर कैसे बनें तो यह नुस्खा हमारे आगे कभी काम आ सकता है। तो जरा बताइए ना सीने को फुलाकर छप्पन 
इंच का कैसे किया जा सकता है?
बहादुरी का नुस्खा-मंत्री महोदय को हंसी आ गयी-बहादुरी का क्या नुस्खा होगा! और छप्पन इंच का सीना लेकर तुम्हें कौन सा प्रधानमंत्री 
बनना है! जी नुस्खा तो जरूर होगा-कायरों ने कहा-क्योंकि थोड़े ही दिन पहले आप खुद ही कह रहे थे कि मैं तो एक बेचारा सा मंत्री हूं-
स्वामीनाथन कमेटी की रिपोर्ट लागू नहीं कर सकता। पर फिर जब आपने हमें कायर कहा तो हमें लगा कि आपके पास जरूर कोई नुस्खा 
है जो इतनी जल्दी आप इतने बहादुर बन गए। हालांकि अब छप्पन इंचवालों का सीना भी छप्पन इंच का कहां रहा! दिखाई तो नहीं 
देता। 
बहादुर मंत्री को इस बात पर गुस्सा तो बहुत आया कि जब उनकी बहादुरी के इतने चर्चे हो रहे हैं तब भी ये लोग उनके बेचारेपनवाला 
बयान याद दिलाना नहीं भूल रहे और प्रधानमंत्री के छप्पन इंचवाले सीने पर सवाल उठा रहे हैं। पर फिर उन्होंने जज्ब किया और बोले-
बहादुरी का ऐसा कोई नुस्खा नहीं होता। हालांकि वे चाहते तो यह कह सकते थे कि मेरी पार्टी में आ जाओ और इंस्टेंटली बहादुर बन 
जाओ-इंस्टेंट कॉफी की तरह। पर कायर तो जैसे नुस्खा पाने पर अड़े हुए थे, जैसे उन्हें बहादुरी का नुस्खा नहीं किसी खजाने की चाबी 
मिलनेवाली थी। 
सो वे बोले-नहीं जी ऐसा कैसे हो सकता है,नुस्खा तो जरूर होगा। वैसे अगर आप हमें वक्त पर यूरिया दे देते तो हम बहादुर हो सकते 
थे। हमारी कपास खरीद लेते, धान खरीद लेते तो हम बहादुर हो सकते थे। पर आपने हमें बहादुर बनने का मौका दिया ही नहीं। हमें 
लगा कि शायद बहादुर बनने का आपका नुस्खा यह है ही नहीं।
कायर बता रहे थे-तो सही नुस्खा तलाशने के लिए हम मिस कॉल देकर आपकी पार्टी के सदस्य भी बने। हमें लगा कि षायद यही वह 
नुस्खा हो। क्योंकि आपकी पार्टी में तो सब बहादुर ही बहादुर हैं। हमेषा देषभक्ति-देषभक्ति रटते रहते हैं, विरोधियों को देषद्रोही बताते 
रहते हैं, हमेषा पाकिस्तान और चीन को ललकारते रहते हैं। इस पर बहादुर मंत्री ने कहना चाहा कि बेवकूफो ऐसा हम सिर्फ विपक्ष में 
रहकर ही करते हैं। राज आने के बाद तो हमने सबसे पहले पाकिस्तानी प्रधानमंत्री को ही आमंत्रित किया और चीनी राष्ट्रपति को तो 
हमने साबरमती के तट पर झूला झुलाया और अब हमारे प्रधानमंत्री खुद वहां झूला झूलने गए हैं। मतलब व्यापार की बात करने गए हैं। 
पर यह बात उन्होंने कही नहीं। सोचा यह उंची राजनीति इनके पल्ले थोड़े ही पड़ेगी।
उधर कायरों का प्रतिनिधिमंडल कह रहा था-पर जी मिस कॉल से आपकी पार्टी की सदस्यता लेकर भी बात कुछ बनी नहीं। सो 
पाकिस्तान और चीन की सीमा पर तो अपने बच्चों को भेज दिया और खुद रामजी-रामजी रटते रह गए। पर राम भी राजी ना हुआ और 
नाराज होकर हमें पीट और गया। कभी बारिश की मार मारी, कभी ओलों की और हम रह गए कायर के कायर। अब लगता है कि कोई 
और नुस्खा होगा बहादुर बनने का। बताइए ना क्या है वो नुस्खा-कायर पूछ रहे थे। नहीं, नुस्खा तो कोई नहीं है-बहादुर मंत्रीजी अब 
सचमुच परेशान होने लगे थे। उनकी कुछ समझ में नहीं आ रहा था। नहीं होगा तो जरूर-कायर कह रहे थे- पर आप उसे सात तालों में 
बंद करके रखे हुए हैं। पर वह काला धन थोड़े ही है, जो सात तालों में बंद करके रख रहे हैं। वैसे जी अगर आप काला धन विदेश से 
लाकर अगर पंद्रह-पंद्रह लाख हमारे खाते में जमा करा देते, जैसा कि प्रधानमंत्री ने वादा किया था तो हम तुरंत बहादुर बन जाते। पर 
लगता है वह नुस्खा तो आप ही भूल गए। फिर भी कोई और नुस्खा होगा बताइए ना क्या है वो नुस्खा? 
नहीं नुस्खा क्या है-बहादुर मंत्री ने कहा-रही काले धन की बात तो चुनावों में ऐसी बात कही ही जाती है, हमारे अध्यक्षजी ने कह तो 
दिया। देखो जी-कायर कह रहे थे-हमने अपनी तरफ से यह नुस्खा तलाशने की बड़ी कोषिष की। पर हमारे बच्चों ने बताया कि गूगल देव 
भी यह नुस्खा नहीं बता पा रहे। तो हमने सोचा जैसे आपने गुजरात में बहादुरी दिखाई थी, थोड़े दिन पहले मुजफ्फरनगर में दिखाई थी 
और भी वक्त-वक्त पर जगह-जगह आप दिखाते ही रहते हैं, क्यों ना वही नुस्खा हम भी आजमा लें। पर फिर हमें लगा कि हम यह 
नुस्खा आजमा कर किस पर अपनी बहादुरी दिखाएं। जिन पर आप दिखाते हों तो वे भी बेचारे हम जैसे ही हैंःगरीब-गुरबा और लुटे-पिटे 
लोग। उनकी यह दलील सुनकर बहादुर मंत्री को बड़ा गुस्सा आया-मौका चूक गए ना कमबख्तो! अगर यह काम कर देते तो मेरे भी नंबर 
बढ़ जाते, जैसे संजीव बालियान के बढ़े। पर बहादुर मंत्री अपने गुस्से को दबा गए। 
उधर कायर कह रहे थे-वैसे यह नुस्खा क्या है-नफरत ही है ना! आप भी नफरत फैलाओ, हम भी नफरत फैलाएं, फिर तो नफरत ही 
नफरत हो जाएगी। सो हमने इरादा छोड़ दिया। फिर सोचा आपकी पार्टी के सांसदों और मंत्रियों की तरह अपने विरोधियों को गालियां देने 
लगेंगे तो अवष्य ही उन्हीं की तरह बहादुर बन जाएंगे। पर हम किसे गालियां देते। हम ना तो महंत आदित्यनाथ हैं, ना साध्वी निरंजन 
ज्योति। 
हम तो गृहस्थ हैं-कायर कह रहे थे-हम कोई साधु-संत थोड़े ही हैं। फिर साधु- संत भी आपकी पार्टीवालों जैसे जिन्हें रामजी की उतनी 
चिंता नहीं, जितनी सत्ता की है। बल्कि हम तो जी गिरिराजसिंह जैसे भी नहीं हैं कि विरोधी पार्टीवालों को गाली देने लगें। सो अपने को, 
अपने बीबी-बच्चों को और अपनी सरकार को ही कोसने लगे। क्या? सरकार को कोसने लगे? हां जी, और क्या करते! पर हम सच 
बताएं जी हम आपके अरूण शौरीजी और जेठमलानीजी जैसे बहादुर तो नहीं हैं ना कि अपनी सरकार की ही धज्जियां उड़ाकर रख दें। सो 
बस मन ही मन कोस कर रह गए। बहादुर मंत्रीजी एकदम बिफर उठे-सरकार को कोसते हो और बहादुरी का नुस्खा पूछने मेरे पास आते 
हो। भागो यहां से कायरो और जाओ मरो! अचानक कायर खुशी से उछल पड़े-मिल गया-मिल गया! क्या-बहादुर मंत्रीजी एकदम 
आश्चर्यचकित थे। बहादुरी का नुस्खा मिल गया-कायरों ने कहा-और क्या!
सहीराम

प्रेरक कहानी

प्रेरक कहानी

सुनो कहानी तुम्हे सुनाऊ,बात पते की तुम्हे बताऊ।
शिक्षा प्रेरक इनका नाम, शिक्षित करना इनका काम।
अत्याचार ये सहते रहते, बिन वेतन के करते काम।
शिक्षा प्रेरक इनका नाम, शिक्षित करना इनका काम।
गुलामी का ये जीवन जीते ,नहीं किसी से ये व्यथा कहते।
शिक्षा प्रेरक है लाचार, इसीलिए शोषण करती है सरकार।
कायरता का ये जीवन जीते ,नहीं बात ये हको की करते।
शिक्षा प्रेरक है गुलाम, इसीलिए नहीं सुनता कोई इनकी बात।
शिक्षा प्रेरक इनका नाम, शिक्षित करना इनका काम।
भगवत कौशिक करे पुकार , इकठ्ठे हो लो प्रेरक यार।
अहंकार तुम अपना छोडो ,प्रेरक हितो की अब तुम सोचो।
नींद से सरकार को जगाना है ,अपने अधिकारों को पाना है।
प्रेरक संघ का साथ निभाओ प्रेरक आंदोलन को सफल बनाओ।
.......................................👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👊👊👊👊👊👊👊👊👊
इस मैसेज को इतना ज्यादा शेयर करो जिससे सोए हुए प्रेरक जाग जाए और 1857 की क्रान्ति की तरह प्रेरक आंदोलन की क्रांति शुरू हो जाए।
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
निवेदनकर्ता --------भगवत कौशिक प्रदेशाध्यक्ष ,प्रेरक संघ हरियाणा एंव
संयोजक, प्रेरक संघ इण्डिया

कागजों में ही चल रहा है साक्षर भारत मिशन

कागजों में ही चल रहा है साक्षर भारत मिशन

साक्षर भारत मिशन अभियान में बडे पैमाने पर गडबडियां -------- 24 नवम्बर।-बुनियादी शिक्षा से महरुम वयस्कों में साक्षरता की अलख जगाने वाला साक्षर भारत मिशन अभियान अब केवल कागजों में ही सिमट कर यह गया है।अन्य विभागों की तरह इस मिशन पर भी भ्रष्टाचार की काली छाया पड गई है। मिशन के तहत अब तक प्रेरको दवारा 6 बार बुनियादी साक्षरता परीक्षा का आयोजन करवाया जा चुका है,लेकिन लर्नर किट(अध्ययन सामग्री) केवल एक बार ही उपलब्ध करवाई गई।ऐसे में बिना अध्ययन सामग्री साक्षरता केसे बढेगी, इसका अंदाजा लगाया जा सकता है। राज्य मे योजना शुरू हुए 3 साल बीतने के बाद भी अब तक गांवों मे स्थापित लोक शिक्षा केंद्रों मे संसाधन नहीं पहुंचे है।न तो किताबें, मैप ,चार्ट सहित अन्य पाठ्य सामग्री दी गई और न ही प्रेरको को साईकिल मिला है।केन्द्र सरकार के प्रावधानों के तहत शिक्षा केंद्रों में किताबें ,मैगजीन व अन्य पाठ्य सामग्री के लिए 5 हजार रूपये ,प्रोग्राम सपोर्ट के लिए 12500 रुपये ,केरोसिन व लाइटिंग सामग्री के लिए2500 रुपये, बिजली-पानी ,मेंटनेंस व अन्य खर्च के लिए 4500रूपये तथा आफिस खर्च के लिए 2500 रूपये प्रतिवर्ष निर्धारित किए गए।लेकिन लोक शिक्षा केंद्रों को अब तक इनमें से फूटी कौडी भी हासिल नहीं हुई है।ऐसे मे सवाल यह उठता है कि सरकार दवारा निरक्षरता खत्म करने के लिए चलाया गया यह अभियान कैसे पूरा होगा। प्रदेश मे अगस्त 2012मे दस जिलों के 62 ब्लाकों के प्रत्येक गावों में लोक शिक्षा केंद्र स्थापित कर दो प्रेरकों की नियुक्ति की गई।प्रावधानों मे यह तय किया गया कि शिक्षा केंद्रों के बेहतर संचालन के लिए वहां सभी जरुरी संसाधन मुहैया कराए जाएगें।प्रत्येक प्रेरक का मानदेय 2000 रूपये प्रति माह सहित प्रत्येक शिक्षा केंद्र पर 75000 वार्षिक खर्च निर्धारित किया गया।अन्य खर्च तो दूर कि बात है प्रतिदिन केंद्र पर 6 घंटे कार्य करने वाले प्रेरकों को पिछले 7 माह से मानदेय नहीं मिल पाया है।ऐसे मे मिशन की सार्थकता का अंदेशा स्वयं लगाया जा सकता है।इस संबंध मे प्रेरक संघ हरियाणा के प्रदेशाध्यक्ष भगवत कौशिक का कहना है कि जब प्रेरको दवारा बिना अध्ययन सामग्री परीक्षा करवाने से मना किया जाता है तो अधिकारियों दवारा उन्हे हटा कर दूसरों को लगा देने की धमकी दी जाती है।राज्य साक्षरता प्राधिकरण मिशन आथारिटि के अधिकारी प्रेरको पर दबाव डालकर केवल लोगो को कागजों मे ही साक्षर बनाने का काम कर रहे है।इस संबंध में पीएम व सीएम को भी अवगत करवाया जा चुका है लेकिन स्थिति जस की तस बनी हुई है।इसी नकारात्मक रवैये के कारण प्रेरको को 8 माह से मानदेय का एक भी पैसा नहीं मिल पाया है। हरियाणा सरकार प्रेरको का आर्थिक एवं मानसिक शोषण कर रही है ।भगवत कौशिक के अनुसार संसाधनों के नाम पर शिक्षा केंद्रो को एक मेज, दो कुर्सी, एक दरी,दो अलमारी उपलब्ध करवाई गई है जो निम्न गुणवत्ता की है।

BHAGWAT Kaushik

M.no.9812191860

HARYANA FEMALE LITERACY

Haryana shows no interest in adult female literacyNot a penny from Rs 1.2-crore Central grant used last yearAditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 15
Already in the dock for the lowest gender ratio and honour killings perpetuated by the khap panchayats, Haryana is now displaying acute official apathy towards female literacy, a cause which the UPA Government espoused in September 2009 when the Prime Minister launched the Sakshar Bharat Mission to educate 60 million illiterate women (and 10 million illiterate men) across India by March 31, 2012.

Fifteen months on, Haryana has not rolled out the programme or spent a paise from the Rs 1.20 crore grant that the Centre released to the state.

Documents accessed by The Tribune show the HRD Ministry approved Rs 11 crore adult literacy projects until 2012 for Haryana. Of this, Rs 1.20 crore was released in the first year to educate 1.25 lakh non-literates in Karnal which was chosen because of its continuing literacy programme and was assumingly ready to absorb the new funds and set an example for other districts.

The districts chosen for the mission’s initial implementation across India were the ones with existing adult literacy infrastructure.

But Haryana has failed to roll out the programme even in Karnal. “Haryana was always arguing that more of its districts should have been included. But the state hasn’t managed to implement the scheme even in Karnal.We have now sanctioned the programme funds for Kaithal, Jind, Fatehabad and Hisar. But we are not sure of Haryana’s response. So far, it has been cold,” HRD Ministry sources told The Tribune, adding that Haryana had not been attending the mission’s review meetings.

Repeated pursuance (letters) by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister of State D Purandeshwari has also not helped. All this when the state’s adult female literacy rate averages 47.45 per cent with certain districts posting the worse percentages- Kaithal 36.50; Jind 37.28; Fatehabad 37.59; Hisar 41.11; Sirsa 41.31; Bhiwani 42.26; Guagaon 42.36 and Mahendragarh 43.11. The gender gap in adult literacy in the state is a whopping 28 pc points and in the SC category 31 per cent points.

So exasperated is the HRD Ministry with Haryana’s indifference to the matter that it has now pulled out staff from the State Resource Centre (these centres are 100 per cent centrally funded to promote adult literacy) and redeployed it in the Northeast where there’s interest for the programme.

Haryana’s performance under the Sakshar Bharat scheme is behind Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in implementation. Since the project was launched in January 2010, Haryana has not reconstituted the State Literacy Mission or conducted a survey of non-literates to ascertain the new numbers.

It has not established adult education centres at the panchayat level or opened subsidiary accounts in panchayats (though these have been opened at the state, district and block level).

The state has not authorised anyone to use the central funds, resulting in zero utilisation of money, nor has it procured teaching material approved by the Centre way back in September 2009.

What state says

Principal Secretary, Education, Sureena Rajan said the programme had not been rolled out because the State Literacy Mission had not been reconstituted as laid down by the Sakshar Bharat Mission.

“The programme requires the states to nominate certain non-official members to the reconstituted state missions. So far as ex-officio members go, there’s no issue. But the non-official members’ issue is to be sorted out.

“As the Mission is not there, no one can be authorised to use the funds though awareness programmes have been conducted. Also, the project was introduced in just one district. Now that we have four more districts, we will give the programme the desired push.”

Haryana plans to reconstitute an “altered” state literacy mission (without non-official members) and seek HRD Ministry approval afresh. Says DR Chowdhry, Member, Haryana Administrative Reforms Commission:

“Haryana lacks the political will for women’s empowerment. This disinclination is evident across all sections of Haryana’s political and official circles”.

Sakshar Mahila Samooh

6000 Sakshar Mahila Samooh formed in Haryana Published: Saturday, June 30, 2007, 21:11 [IST] Give your rating: Chandigarh, June 30 (UNI) Haryana Government has earmarked Rs three crore for the implementation of Sakshar Mahila Samooh (SMS) scheme during the current financial year, Haryana Women and Child Development Minister Kartar Devi said here today that about 6000 SMS (group of educated women) had already been formed under the programme, which has been included in the State Plan of Integrated Child Development Service Scheme. She said that the Government had formed SMS in villages to create awareness among the people on key issues like sex ratio, literacy, health and nutrition education, opportunities for economic empowerment of women, hygiene, sanitation and environment. The Minister said the SMS scheme also aimed at providing necessary resource support to the Gram Panchayat and its sub committee for effective discharge of functions assigned to them. The sub-committees had enrolled all educated women in the villages who were at least matriculate including school going girls at plus two level and former members of Balika Mandals under Kishori Shakti Yojna. The Minister said that UNICEF had agreed to provide technical support to organise workshop for participants from social sector, training of frontline workers and review of implementation of SMS programme. It also agreed to provide an IT application of the SMS Child Tracking System, identify critical issues of intervention in various social sector areas, formulation of a strategy to address issues of female foeticide, explore private sector participation for increasing resources availability, analysing the conditions of women and children and monitoring the child rights convention. UNI

Read more at: http://www.oneindia.com/2007/06/30/6000-sakshar-mahila-samooh-formed-in-haryana-1183218081.html

ANNEXURES

FINANCING AND BUDGET

 Financing and budget 86. A total financial outlay for “Saakshar Bharat” during the last 3 years of XI Plan period is Rs. 6502.70 crores, out of which the Central share will be Rs. 4993.02 crore. The share of funding between Central and State Government is in the ratio of 75:25 and in the case of North-Eastern States including Sikkim in the ratio of 90:10, respectively. The allocation of funds to the States will be based on adult female illiterate population in the districts covered under the programme in various States. As the Mission progresses, the expenditure pattern will follow the overall inter-se distribution. 87. Upper levels of cost norms have been prescribed for all components of the Mission including management, monitoring and evaluation, etc. Activity wise financial norms are at Annexure-III IX. Rashtriya Saksharta Kosh 88. To augment non-budgetary resources through public donations and grant in aid, NLMA may set up a Fund under the name, Rashtriya Saksharta Kosh. NLMA will determine the modalities of its operation. Proceeds of the fund may be used to give performance based rewards to literacy achievers including the literacy educators. X. Milestones 89. The Mission will have the following major milestones: 32 o Mission launch: 8th September, 2009 o Launching of the programme in states: 14th December, 2009 o Mobilisation (Phase I): September- December 2009 o Starting of the Classes: January 2010 o First Round of National Test/Evaluation: September 2010 A

XI. Duration of the Scheme 90. The scheme will be in operation till 31.3.2012, unless decided otherwise by the Government of India. Literacy programme will have timeframe of 18 months. Equivalency, Vocational and Continuing Education Programme will run uninterruptedly from the date of sanction till 31-03-2012 XII. Guidelines 91. The scheme will be administered through guidelines laid down by NLMA from time to time. NLMA has been empowered to formulate detailed guidelines of the programme including fund release management, frequency and quantum of releases, receiving and utilization of public donations, mode of implementation, mass mobilisation, publicity and awareness, management structure, monitoring and evaluation etc. and modify them from time to time. In case of any dispute on the interpretation of these guidelines, the decision of the NLMA will be final. **** 33 Annexure 1 Suggestive Management Structure At Gram Panchayat Level: Panchyat Lok Shiksha Samiti Composition Chairperson:- President of the Panchayat - 1 Vice-Chairman :- (Selected among the members) Members (50% women) Women elected representatives of the Panchayat - 2 Head Master/Teacher from the local school chosen by the Panchayat - 1 Representatives of the community (with proportionate representation from SCs/STs/ Minorities) - 3 Member Secretary of the Education Committee – 1 (Mahila Mandal/SHG Member - 1 User Group – 2 Social Activists – 1 Literates/Opinion Makers (Sr. Govt. Employee/Doctor) - 1 Member Secretary: Senior Prerak - 1 Secretariat - Two full time contractual employees (Senior Prerak and Prerak) Tasks: Management of Lok Shiksha Kendra and its activities including - o Identification of non-literate women and voluntary teachers in the gram panchayat o Sourcing, storing and supply of teaching-learning material and making them available to enlisted teachers o Micro planning at gram panchayat level and supervision of literacy classes o Logistical support for National level Test/Learners Assessment o Payment of honorarium to literacy educators o Evaluation o Claim to be made for award of Panchayat Mahila Shakshrata Puraskar award after achieving 100% female literacy o Setting up Lok Shiksha Kendra for continuing education with funds from Panchayat and award money. 34 Block Level: Block Lok Shiksha Samiti Composition Chairperson - President of the Block Panchayat Members - All Women elected Representatives of the Block Panchayat College/School teachers Representatives of the community, NGO, etc Member Secretary - BDO Secretariat – Up to two full time contractual employees Tasks – o Preparation of Block Panchayat-level Literacy Plan o Supervision of literacy classes o Coordination between Gram Panchayats and District level agency o Monitoring of the programme at block level District Level: Zilla Lok Shiksha Samiti Composition Chairperson - District Panchayat President Members – District Collector: Coordinator Selected Block and Gram Panchayat Presidents (of which at least 50% women) District Heads of selected departments NGO representatives Educationist and Social Workers Directors of JSS Member Secretary – CEO, Zilla Panchayat Secretariat - A full time officer of the Samiti will hold no other additional charge. State Government will provide a minimum supporting staff to manage the affairs of the Samiti. Besides, Samiti may engage maximum up to 5 contractual employees. Tasks o Planning of district level campaign for literacy o Communication of strategy to all Gram Panchayat heads o Undertaking mass mobilization and environment building activities. 35 o Organisation of Mahila Saksharata orientation at sub-district levels and through district-wise gram sabha meetings o Creating the work chart and role definitions for participating agencies such as learners, teachers, evaluators, panchayats o Preparing the annual district calendar (Sept. 8 to Sept. 7) o Organising supply of teaching-learning material to panchayats o Supervising teaching-learning o Organising complementary action through SHGs and NREGA groups o Planning and implementing common testing/evaluation on 1st week of September each year (to begin on Sept. 1st 2010) o Payment of honorarium and award of Panchayat Mahila Saksharata Puraskar o Setting up Lok Shiksha Kendra for continuing education through convergence of funds o Placing all relevant information in the public domain on the programme State Level - State Literacy Mission Authority Composition of Governing Body Chairman - Chief Minister/Education Minister Members Eminent educationists, Elected representatives, Representatives from NGOs, Eminent social/literacy activists, Media specialists, etc. Member Secretary - Secretary Education (in-charge of Adult Education) Secretariat - State Governments to provide a full time Secretariat to the SLMA besides up to 6 contractual employees The SLMA would encourage and ensure that services of experienced and committed persons from all sections of society. These persons may be released by their establishments to work for the literacy and continuing education programme. The period of their work should be treated as duty in their parent departments and they would continue to draw their salary and allowances for this period from their parent establishments Tasks 36 o Developing a State Plan for Literacy o Organising a motivational campaign across the state o The SLMA will be responsible for disbursal of funds received from the NLMA and the State to the implementing agency and management of accounts. o Overseeing District Plans for Literacy o Effecting convergence of programmes for incentives, awards and the adult education centre (Lok Shiksha Kendra) o Ensuring evaluation and placing all information in the public domain on the programme National Level - National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) Composition of Governing Body Chairperson- Minister of Human Resource Development Vice Chairperson – Minister of State (HRD) Members - Ministers of Information & Broadcasting, Health & Family Welfare, Youth Affairs and Sports, Social Justice and Empowerment, Women & Child Development, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Minority Affairs and representatives of different line departments, NGOs. Member Secretary – Joint Secretary (Adult Education) Secretariat: Joint Secretary, Adult Education is the ex-officio Director General of the NLMA. There are two Additional Director-General and two Directors along with the usual supporting staff. Tasks o Ensure campaign roll-out on 8 September 2009 o Oversee State level Campaigns o Mass Media support to campaign o Oversee evaluations o Funding support to states o Directions for Convergence o Awards and Incentives for outstanding work 37 Annexure-II List of districts having rate of 50% adult female literacy or below along with number of Block Panchayats, No. of village Panchayats and existence of JSSs in the district STATEMENT - State wise list of 365 Distrcts Number of Block Panchayats and Gram Panchayats in Districts* having Adult Female Literacy Rate below 50

PLANNING

Planning o Guiding Principles 73. Accountability, transparency, participative management, clear delineation of roles and accountability will be essential features of planning process and management. In compliance with 73rd Constitutional Amendment, NLMA perceives a pivotal role for Panchayati Raj institutions in implementation of the programme at the district and sub-district level. However, the discretion of actual role definition will vest with SLMA. It will be incumbent upon SLMAs to ensure that planning processes adopted by it conform to the fundamentals of the strategy, more importantly, decentralization and bottom up approach. For efficient planning, NLMA will make available superior tools of project planning on line. 74. The programme has been envisaged as a people‟s programme in the true sense, a programme of the people, for the people and by the people. All stakeholders, specially at the grassroots level should have a due say and role in the planning and implementation of the programme. The role of NLMA and SLMA will be that of 28 catalytic agencies, facilitators and resource providers. All management and supervisory structures will have to be instituted accordingly. Adequate representation of women in these structures, specially in decision-making roles, will also have to be ensured. Adequate resource support will be provided to planning and implementing agencies through special purpose vehicles like State Resource Centers and other bodies with requisite capacities. 75. NLMA will have the final say on the strategy, mainframe and guidelines of the programme and will be authorized to carry out requisite modifications/ improvements as may be required during the course of implementation of the programme as long as they are within the broad framework approved by the Government of India. NLMA may engage consultants and outsource services as per requirement of the Mission. The expenditure on these will be borne from funds earmarked for management/National Resource Group. o Planning Process 76. Activities and responsibilities have been delineated up to the Panchyat Gram level. Panchayats or the agency designated by the SLMA will be responsible for Micro-planning in respect of preparation of action plan at GP level. Micro Planning will include survey, data collection, mass mobilization, training schedules of different levels of functionaries, procurement and distribution of teaching learning materials, evaluation of learning outcome of the learners, budgetary requirements, etc. A GP level plan will have to be formulated taking into account all programmes and activities of the Mission. Blocks will aggregate all the gram panchayts in the block and add their own activity budget to it. The District Implementing Agency will ensemble all the block plans and add their own activity budget and submit it to SLMA. SLMA will aggregate all district plans add 29 their own state activity and budget to it NLMA. The state plan will thus be an ensemble of all district plans plus SLMA‟s own activity budget. 77. The National Literacy Mission Authority will appraise each State Plan and issue administrative and financial sanction based on which funds (Central Government share) will be released to SLMA.  Management Structure 78. The programme will be implemented in Mission mode. Institutional framework, right from the national up to the state, district, block and gram Panchyat, will be set up involving the state government, district administration and Panchyati Raj institutions. Adequate representation of women in these structures, especially in decision-making roles will have to be ensured. 79. The National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA), an autonomous wing of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, will be the Nodal Agency at the national level. It would be responsible for the overall planning and management of the scheme, including release of funds to States/Voluntary Agencies, mobilization of resources, procurement, mass campaigns, maintenance of national database on illiteracy and adult education, publicity, facilitate techno-pedagogical support, research, monitoring and evaluation, etc. 80. To assist NLMA in the discharge of its mandate, a National Resource Group (NRG) will be set to render technical and managerial support to the Mission through NLMA. No permanent employee will be posted to NLMA or NRG. However, NLMA may engage short term/medium term consultants and support services in the field of general management, pedagogy, mass mobilization, evaluation, ITC or any other activity as may be decided by the Executive Committee of NLMA for a period not exceeding three years. 30 81. At the State level, the State Literacy Mission Authority (SLMA), would be responsible for preparation, implementation and monitoring of the programmes. It would be incumbent upon the respective State Governments to provide a full time Secretariat to the SLMA besides contractual employees as may be agreed to by the NLMA. 82. The State Plan will be an ensemble of district Plans. Based on the Mission Strategy and Guidelines, SLMA would facilitate preparation of the District AE Plans through intensive discussion and guidance, to reflect the variety in programme types and innovation in implementation methods in relation to local specific situations, within the overall framework of national guidelines. 83. The NLMA and SLMA would encourage and provide services of experienced and committed persons from all sections of society, including persons who are employees of Central/State government, district administration, university/college or a public sector undertaking. These persons may be released by their establishments to work for the literacy and continuing education programme on secondment basis. The period of their work should be treated as duty in their parent departments and they would continue to draw their salary and allowances for this period from their parent establishments. 84. The SLMA will also be responsible for disbursal of funds, along with the State government share, to the district implementing agency, monitoring and review of the progress of the scheme in the State, collection of Utilisation Certificates (UCs) from the districts and submission of a consolidated UC to NLMA. It would also be responsible for capacity building, field appraisals and pedagogic support and act as State Resource Group for the programme in the state 85. At the district level district administration or Zilla Parishads (ZP) may be made responsible for the implementation of the programme. A special committee and 31 District Resource Group will have to be constituted to function under the aegis of ZP. Gram Panchyats, along with communities, will be the implementing Agency at the operational level, that is, all villages within a GP. A suggestive management structure for implementation of the programme at different levels indicating composition of the Committees, secretarial assistance and tasks to be undertaken is given in Annexure 1. V

Efficiency Management

VII. Efficiency Management  Convergence and Partnerships o Public Public Partnerships 63. NLMA and SLMAs will work towards actively promoting convergence of the Mission‟s programs and activities with other development strategies specially in education, rural development, health, child and women development, poverty alleviation, agriculture, Panchayati Raj and social welfare sectors. The Mission would take the unified energies of the Departments of School Education and Literacy and higher education down to the village level. Teachers would be encouraged to motivate non-literate parents of their students to enrol as learners 24 and motivate educated youth in the village to volunteer as teachers for the campaign. They could also act as teachers of the literacy classes. Physical infrastructure created under Sarva shiksha Abhiyan may be used for the literacy programme during non-school hours. o Non-Government Organisations 64. Alliance between GOs and NGOs would be further strengthened. NGOs and other groups that have demonstrated long-term commitment to issues of adult education and which have an established and unsullied track record of performance in this area will be drawn in as resource groups at all levels. Voluntary Sector will be encouraged to take up activities under any programme of the Mission as well as innovative programmes aimed at achieving its objectives for which they may be provided grant-in-aid at the approved cost norms. Selection of the NGO will be the responsibility of the SLMA or the sub-state implementation agency as decided by the SLMA. However, NLMA may select any NGO to assist it in any aspect of the Mission. o Public Private Partnerships 65. Adult education in India has always been predominantly a government responsibility with some degree of involvement of NGOs. In contrast to very prominent collaboration in the case of formal school system, the contribution of private and corporate sector in adult education has been miniscule. Private and corporate sector can play a momentous role in promoting objectives of the Mission. As in the case of NGOs, institutions in private sector that have the urge, inclination and commitment to adult education programmes, may be encouraged to undertake any activity for which they could be provided grant-in-aid at the approved cost norms. Selection of such agencies will be the responsibility of the SLMA or the sub-state implementation agency as decided by the SLMA. 25 However, NLMA may select any agency to assist it in any aspect of the Mission. NLMA is authorized to develop Public Private Partnerships and other models of partnership to generate funds and also to obtain donations. Alike in selection of NGOs as also institutions in the private sector, there would be total openness and transparency in the process. Fiscal incentives like income tax exemptions may be considered to encourage larger role of private sector in adult education. o International Partnerships 66. To gain from international experiences, NLMA will strive to establish an international network and work closely with UNESCO, UNICEF, and other international bodies engaged in adult education and arrive at bilateral and multilateral arrangements for mutually beneficial partnerships.  Documentation 67. Access to relevant information through an effective and strong documentation and information network further strengthens adult education programmes as it improves access to relevant and timely information on adult learning. Documentation is also a means of sharing the achievements of learners back to the field. Particularly with women, this effort will be effective in sustaining their enthusiasm for learning. Local newsletters can also be developed amongst women‟s groups as a means of documenting and sharing information across block or a cluster of gram panchayats. 68. The documentation capacity of SRCs would be upgraded. The software and procedures developed by UNESCO, that follows a uniform classification, could be used by national documentation center as it would facilitate networking with national and international organizations and would also be user friendly for easy retrieval and use. Necessary resources will be allocated for scientific documentation of important information. This will include a national database on 26 adult education, indexing, abstracting, bibliographies, and translation service, sharing of effective literacy/adult education practices, directories of material/training tools and programmes, compilation of researches, providing reference service, and databases. o Research 69. Applied research is as important to Total Quality Management as any other intervention. The Mission will accord high priority to promote research in basic and post literacy and continuing education as also gender issues and documentation and dissemination of research findings. Research studies on relevant themes will be assigned to competent agencies. Further, universities and social science research institutes of repute and standing will be addressed to encourage the researchers to work in the field of different aspects of adult education for the award of doctoral and post-doctoral degree. NLMA will also consider sponsorship of research, on topics selected by it, in reputed universities.  Monitoring and Evaluation 70. Objective performance parameters will be prescribed for each agency involved in implementation of the scheme. A web based Management Information System (MIS) will be put in place for real time monitoring, which would be critical for optimising the outreach and impact of the programmes. NLMA, SLMA and District bodies will review the progress at their respective levels. Names and progress of each learner will be placed in the public domain. Monitoring will not be uni-directional but a two way communication process. Feedback as to what is happening on the ground will be received through appropriate channels and correctives will be sent back to the ground level through the same channels. 71. Enormous resources, financial as well as human, are to be deployed in the programme. It is but obvious and imperative that high quality evaluations are 27 carried out to facilitate detailed analysis, including cost benefit analysis and future planning. Elaborate procedures for concurrent, summative and impact evaluation will be laid down. Literacy data will also be supplemented through field research. Reputed agencies with an impeccable track record, expertise and experience will be commissioned to carry out evaluations. The evaluation process will be a tool of correction through participation. Total openness and transparency will be the watch words in the entire evaluation process.  Fund Release Management 72. NLMA will work out a mechanism for just in time release of funds to all implementing agencies using the core banking facilities available with scheduled banks. NLMA may continue with the existing system of release for grant till operationalisation of the web based fund release and control mechanism

New Learning Technologies

New Learning Technologies 59. Information and Communication Technology is fast emerging as an effective tool to improve the access as well as quality of adult education. Already successful experiments have been made to teach using radio and television. Locally produced interactive radio instruction and community radio can promote exchange between 22 learners and programme providers. Much deeper penetration of radio and television has further enhanced their potential as a channel for promoting literacy. ICT, as a medium of instruction, can be all the more effective for developing professional skills of literacy educators. ICTs can be creatively used to close the digital divide – where computer proficiency is not just seen as a marketable skill but one that enables access to information and helps sustain literacy skills. ICT and other technologies, therefore, will have to be extensively used to achieve the National Literacy Goals.  Promoting a Literate Environment 60. Printed and visual materials in households, neighbourhoods, workplaces and the community encourage individuals to become literate and to integrate their literacy skills in the everyday lives. A significantly large number of adult learners live in impoverished literacy environments, lacking a bare minimum of written script in their homes or immediate surroundings, as even basic signage like milestones, bus routes, etc., may be missing. The growing learning needs of ever increasing number of neo-literates cannot be met unless a wide range of materials relating to their needs and interests are provided. A wide range of newspapers (including a newspaper to be designed exclusively for the use of neo-literates by the SRCs or any other body in respective spoken languages of the area), broadsheets and interesting, informative reading material besides short stories, novels, plays, poetry, folk tales, fiction, humour and biographies would be commissioned. Such materials will be made available to all the adult education centers. Book reading campaigns (jan vachan andolans) will be further promoted as these have been found to promote readability skill among neo-literates. 61. Writing, for neo-literates, is a special skill. A large number of facilitators will be encouraged to train themselves through short-term courses in writing skills through Open Schools and Universities so that they could become resource 23 persons to produce adequate amount of literature for the neo-literate. Policies related to book publishing, the media – print as well as broadcast, and public libraries will be aligned with the requirements of literacy promotion. Collaboration with agencies like NBT will be pursued to promote literature for neo-literates. Library networks, central, state and others, will be approached to provide a neo-literate corner in the libraries especially in rural areas.  Resource Support 62. In order to provide academic resource support to literacy and adult education programmes, State Resource Centres (SRCs) have been established throughout the country. Not only their number will be increased but also their capacities enhanced so that they could extend adequate academic and technical resource support to adult and continuing education programme specially in the realm of development of teaching learning material and training of literacy practitioners and managers. Besides SRCs, Resource Support Groups with due representation of educationists, social activists, experienced and committed volunteers/functionaries, representative of local training institutions etc., will be constituted at national, state, district, block and Gram Panchayat level. 

Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management  Core Curriculum Framework for Adult Literacy 45. Different objectives for literacy programmes place diverse demands on curriculum of literacy programmes. A relevant curriculum is conducive to better learning outcomes. At the same time, there is a need for standardization of quality benchmarks. NLMA will develop Core Curricular Framework in respect of basic literacy and continuing education programme. The Framework will spell out the content and their comprehensiveness in delineating core academic areas and 18 locally relevant issues, teaching-learning methods and processes for achieving the literacy norms and other objectives. 46. The core curriculum will reflect the national values like national integration, secularism, democracy, scientific temper, communal harmony, women‟s equality, small family norm etc. It will also address the demands of the learners and take into account the diversity of their socio-cultural background, life experience, linguistic skills and motivational levels. The curricular framework will strike a balance between the larger social objectives of the Mission and relevance to local contexts and to wider opportunities. It will also lay down guidelines for syllabi including processes and methods that will help to retain the interest of the learners and prevent dropout and spell out the levels and norms of learning outcome for learner assessment, guidelines regarding the learning assessment system, including self-assessment by learners. 47. Based on the Framework, SLMAs could develop the curriculum with adequate reflection of locally relevant issues and aspects.  High-Quality Teaching-Learning Material (TLM) 48. To ensure uniformly high standards, all the materials for basic education, equivalency and continuing education will be quality-assured by an Expert Committee set up by the NLMA/SLMA. The Committee will comprise of experts in the field of adult education, gender, languages, and priority sectors. With respect to equivalency, the Committee will also include experts from formal education and Open Learning Systems. 49. The Committee will lay down the standards and guidelines for developing teaching-learning material in different languages, the form and quality of presentation of the contents in the learning materials appropriate to the level of adults. It will cover the main elements of literacy, skill development, equivalency 19 and lifelong learning, in the context of livelihood, social and cultural realities of the learners and special issue-based and thematic aspects, such as gender parity, NREGS, RTI, PRIs, SHGs, health and hygiene, environment, agriculture, animal husbandry, etc. These materials will lead to attainment of levels of learning specified by NLMA, and in respect of equivalency, the Open School Norms. NLMA will arrange to maintain a bank of professionally produced prototype teaching-learning materials. 50. Such materials that conform to the prescribed standards will be assigned a logo as a seal of approval. Only such materials that are approved by the Committee will be used in the Programme. Teaching learning material will be produced in the language of learners‟ choice. Government agencies like National Book Trust, State Text Book Societies, NGOs and private sector may be involved in the development, production, and distribution of the primers and other post literacy and continuing education teaching learning material.  Improving Quality of Literacy Educators 51. Teaching adults is an art that requires a specialized set of skills. Quality instructors are, therefore, a pre-requisite for the success of the programme. Since the programme does not engage professional teachers, but relies mainly on Volunteers with little or no previous teaching experience, they will be given intensive high quality training in andragogy in local language both at the time of induction as well as during the course of the literacy programme. A cascading approach to training will be adopted so that the trainers of today are trained to be potential trainers of tomorrow. As the key focus of the programme is on women and other disadvantaged groups, the literacy educators will be especially sensitized on gender, social, and cultural issues. Special attention will be given to training in numeracy. 20 52. Capacities of the Central Directorate of Adult Education and SRCs will be further developed to purposefully engage them in ensuring quality training in the State including preparation of curriculum, training manuals, training strategies, training of trainers, and other components related to training. Inputs will be provided to them on working with women, mobilizing them and linking women‟s social realities with the literacy and other programmes of the Mission. 53. A network of institutes such as District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), District Resource Units, JSSs and other professional bodies will be developed as key resource institutions in a district for training of trainers. NGOs and women‟s organisations, both government as well as non government, that have worked on issues of women‟s literacy and empowerment will also be involved in conducting and rganizing trainings.  Augmenting the Quality of Teaching and Learning 54. The thrust of the programme is to ensure sustainable level of literacy and hence the teaching-learning process will have to be more participatory and learner centered. Superior teaching and learning methodologies like peer learning, multiple level teaching, group discussions, play-way method, exposure visit, activity-based learning, etc. may be adopted. Besides, the use of teaching aids like posters, charts, supplementary reading materials, audio-visual programmes, puppetry, flash cards, flip charts, and cultural activities need to be employed. To improve attendance, flexi and learner friendly timings and time tables will be used that take into account work situation, age and gender sensitivities. 55. An appropriate learning environment further adds to the quality of teaching and learning. This is possible by providing a suitable, well lighted and ventilated fairly commodious centre which is neat and clean and which takes into account the gender and cultural sensitivities of the learners and is easily accessible to them. 21 56. More important than all, instead of singular emphasis on mastering reading, writing and numeracy within a specified time frame, the new strategy will be to hear the voice of learners and engage them fully in the learning process.  Assessment & Certification 57. Assessment of actual competence of the population in literacy skills is important for getting feedback of the success and outcomes of the programme. A systematic assessment procedure will, therefore, be put in place and administered periodically through the school education system for which SLMA will have to devise a suitable mechanism in consultation with NLMA. The basic principles underlying the procedure for evaluation will be non-incursive, promoting courage and self confidence in response and action and self-actualisation. Tests devised at the state level would be administered in first week of September 2010 and subsequently in each quarter for which SLMAs will devise rules based on guidelines issued by NLMA. Local school teachers may be engaged as evaluators under a system devised by the state administration. On successful completion and assessment, the learner will have to be issued a certificate jointly signed by the Head teacher of the local primary school and the Head of the Panchyat unless specified otherwise. 58. Assessment of other components of basic education (equivalency programme) will be conducted as per the provisions of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and State Open Schools (SOS) and certificates will also be provided to the successful candidates by NIOS/SOS. Assessment of skill development activities will be conducted as per guidelines to be issued separately by NLMA. 

Lok Shikha Kendra

Lok Shikha Kendras (Adult Education Centres) 44. Well equipped multiple functional Lok Shikha Kendras (Adult Education Centres[AEC]) will be set up at Gram Panchayat level to provide institutional, managerial and resource support to literacy and life long education at grass root level. One AEC will be set up in a Gram Panchayat having the population of 5000. An additional AEC may be set up if the population of Gram Panchayat is more than 5000. The adult education centre will be manned by two paid Coordinators (Preraks) to be engaged on contractual basis. AECs will function from buildings provided by Gram Panchayat. Preraks should preferably be from marginalized groups (SCs/STs/ Minorities) and at least one of them should be a woman. A Prerak should be at least a matriculate.

Operational Framework for Teaching Learning Programme

Operational Framework for Teaching Learning Programme 42. The Lok Shiksha Kendra will be the operational arm of the mission at the grass root level and responsible for delivering the entire range of activities under the Mission including, Literacy, Basic Education, Vocational Education and continuing education within their territorial jurisdiction. Two Preraks may be engaged on payment of honorarium to discharge administrative and academic tasks. Preraks will also be assigned teaching responsibilities. Together with volunteer teachers they will constitute the resource group in a village. Since the Kendras will not have buildings of their own, Panchyats and concerned line departments may be obligated to allow the centers to function from the Panchyat Ghars, schools, aganwadi centers etc. Gradually funds may be made available for construction of such centers. 43. While basic education and continuing education programmes will be largely Kendra based, the voluntary teacher based literacy programme will be run through temporary literacy learning centers in a village. These centers will be roughly equivalent of a school in the formal sector and will be managed by a voluntary 17 Literacy Educator/Resident Instructor on almost same analogy as a single teacher school in the formal sector. More of such centers must be operated within habitats of disadvantaged groups. Based on the number of non – literate adults within each of the villages and hamlets that constitute the gram panchayat, required number of literacy centres will be set up. One literacy centre will cover 8-10 non-literates. The minimum physical learning environment facilities, teaching learning material, etc., will be provided to these learning centres, as per provision in the programme. 

Continuing Education Programme

Continuing Education Programme 38. Continuing Education Programme (CEP) is aimed at achieving the fourth objective of the Scheme that is, „Establishing a learning society by providing opportunities to neo literates and other targeted beneficiaries for lifelong learning‟. The programme recognizes increased demand for learning generated by Basic and Post Literacy Programmes and the potential need of adult learners to further enhance their skills on their own terms and at their convenience. CEP, as the very name suggests, will not have a fixed time frame as in the case of the other three 15 programmes, but will be organized on a continuous basis. The approach is to create a sustainable learning environment so that learners are encouraged to continue with their literary aspirations and take advantage of the programme facilities to satiate their learning appetite. 39. The Programme will provide facility of a library and reading room, which would be gradually provided with other contemporary ICT devices. Short-term thematic courses like Health awareness / care, Food and nutrition, Water conservation / drinking water / sanitation, Population development education issues – AIDS/STD, Sex education, Consumer awareness / Consumer rights, Legal literacy, RTI or any other topic of interest and relevance to the lives of the learners will also be offered under this programme. 40. To implement the programme, 1.70 lakh Lok Shiksha Kendras (Adult Education Centers) will be established in Panchayat grams of the districts covered under the programme. It will subsume the already sanctioned Continuing Education Centers (CECs) in a particular district. Existing CECs and the nodal CECs in the districts not covered under the programme will have to be closed down, unless the Government of States wish to run them at their own cost through Public Private Partnership or otherwise. Gram Panchyats may as well be given this offer. Specific approval of NLMA will be required to continue an existing CEC under this programme. 41. A Lok Shiksha Kendra will act as a centre for registration of learners for all teaching learning activities in their jurisdiction; Nerve center for literacy campaign including identification of the learners and volunteers, batching and matching of the learners with suitable Volunteers as well as their training, providing literacy kits to learners and volunteers, keeping track of the progress made by each learner-volunteer group; Nodal centre for mass mobilization 16 activities; Technology center; Center for thematic courses on behalf of other departments such as Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Fisheries, Horticulture, Sericulture, Handloom, Handicrafts, Health, Education, Rural Development, Urban Development, Women and Child Development, SCs, STs, OBC welfare, Panchayatiraj, Science & Technology etc. or based on local demand; Library and reading room; Venue for group discussion; Vocational and skill development and extension facility for other departments; Center for promoting sports and adventure and recreational and cultural activities; A composite information window and Data center for Adult education besides any other activity related to the mission. 

Vocational Education (Skill Development) Programme

Vocational Education (Skill Development) Programme 36. For furtherance of the third objective of the scheme, that is, „Equip non and neoliterates with vocational skills to improve their living and earning conditions‟, suitable skill development training will be imparted to those having rudimentary levels of education or no education. Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS), set up under the Scheme for Assistance to Voluntary Agencies for Adult Education and Skill Development of DSEL, will be institutionally networked with the Adult Education Centres so that they could impart skill development training, as well as literacy linked vocational training. JSS, in coordination with the District Implementing Agency, will enlist neo-literates for appropriate skill development training. Besides specific activities for which a specific budgetary provision is available under the Mission, JSSs will utilise their programme budget to impart vocational skill training. 37. Parallel efforts will be made by the SLMA and District Implementation Agencies for developing synergies with other agencies in the public as well as private sector for enhanced opportunities of skill development training at the gram panchayat level. 

Basic Education Programme

Basic Education Programme 35. This programme is designed to achieve the second objective of the scheme, namely, „Enable the neo-literates to continue their learning beyond basic literacy and acquire equivalency to formal educational system‟. Arrangements will be made to enable young adults to continue their learning till they are able to achieve equivalence levels with Grade III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII and beyond in the formal school system or through the Open Learning System. The Open Basic Education (OBE) programme initiated by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and other Open Schools will be taken as the starting point. While 14 formulating equivalency programmes, the life experience and local knowledge systems of the adult learners will be taken into consideration. 

Part-residential Camp

Part-residential Camp – Part-volunteer-based Approach 34. This approach may be suitable for group-specific learners, such as non literate members of self-help groups, women‟s groups, or members of gram panchayats, or persons who may have joined together in a common cause. There are many such groups in the country today and many of them also function as a forum for credit and savings. It would provide for basic literacy in camps conducted for a suitable period, keeping in view the convenience of the beneficiaries, interspersed with guided learning in volunteer mode. These camps would enable learners to acquire literacy skills of pre-determined levels, simultaneously, providing opportunity for discussion and debate on issues relevant to their living and working conditions. 

Residential Camps

Residential Camps 33. The residential camps may be organized, specially for adolescents and young adults in the age group of 15-25 years, who might have already completed primary education (Standard IV/V) but later relapsed to illiteracy for want of follow up; 13 those who dropped out of the school system, and are now too old to rejoin school and those altogether excluded from systematic education. Identified young adults and adolescents will be motivated to participate in residential camps, which would be organized at a suitable location in the block with support of a team of Resource Persons. Resident camps may be organised through NGOs, SRCs, JSSs etc. provided they have experience and expertise in this field. 

Centre-based Approach

Centre-based Approach o Resident Instructor 31. In the eventuality of qualified Volunteers not being a resident within a particular village, instructors may be engaged from outside the village or community to live with the community and provide instructional teaching to the learners and assist them in completing basic literacy course. On an average, one Resident Instructor will be required to teach at least 30 learners in a period of one year. The Resident Instructor will be provided an honorarium fixed by the NLMA . 32. In this approach the centre will function for about 7-8 hours every day, and individual/groups of learners will attend classes for a couple of hours or more depending on the free time available to them. The instructors will be especially chosen for their sensitivity to issues of gender and caste equality, and their commitment to Constitutional values of democracy and secularism. Basic educational qualification and selection procedure for a Resident Instructor will be laid down by NLMA. o

Incentives to the Volunteers and Learners

Incentives to the Volunteers and Learners 29. Voluntary Literacy Educators are not paid any remuneration. Since high motivational level of Voluntary Literacy Educators is critical, they need to be motivated through different means including public recognition, at different 12 levels, of their contribution besides other incentives and rewards.Payment of honorarium to Literacy Educators may also be considered by the State Governments, Gram Panchayat or NLMA through any funding source , including donations or public private partnership, but not from budgetary support of Government of India 3
 SLMA/District/Gram Panchayat could also explore the possibility of giving motivational incentives to learners in an innovative manner.

VOLUNTEER BASED MASS APPROACH

Approach 28. Under this approach, volunteer teaching takes place on a mass scale. A volunteer acts as a mobiliser, trainer and teacher and is responsible for imparting literacy, on an average, to 8-10 learners. The implementing agency at the operational level, will be responsible for identification of the potential learners as well as volunteers, their batching and matching, making arrangements for their training, distribution of literacy kits to learners and volunteers, keeping track of the progress made by each learner-volunteer group, ensuring that the momentum of learning is not lost, while simultaneously ensuring that learning takes place at the pace suitable to the learner. o

Flexi Approach

Flexi Approach 27. Though Mass Campaign Approach will continue to be the dominant strategy, the scheme discounts a homogenous approach uniformly throughout the country. To ensure that basic literacy is provided through a variety of context specific and group specific approaches, innovation would be encouraged and flexibility in sanctioning projects within a broad range of approved costs will be exercised. Implementing agencies may adopt any approach/model or a mix of approaches/models, including the illustrative formats outlined below: