Rajasthan: 77 Years After Independence, State Still Grappling with Illiteracy

Ganganagar: Even after 77 years of independence, the state is still struggling to eradicate illiteracy. According to the latest data, there are lakhs of people in the state who are unable to write their names. The government has launched a new literacy programme, Ullass Navbharat, to educate 20 lakh people in the state, including 15 lakh women.

The literacy programme aims to educate people in every district, with each district being assigned a target. In Sri Ganganagar district, the target is to educate 53,000 people.

To achieve this, the administration has begun a survey to identify illiterate people in each gram panchayat. Volunteers will be appointed to teach these people, and they will also be taught how to use mobile phones.

15 Lakh Women to be Educated

The state government has set a target to educate 15 lakh women, which is three times more than the number of men. The government has assigned a target to each district, and Sri Ganganagar district has been given a target of educating 53,000 people.

Volunteers to Carry Out the Mission

A total of 1,496 volunteers have been appointed to teach illiterate people in Sri Ganganagar district. However, these volunteers will not receive any honorarium for their work. Earlier, during the Satat Shiksha Abhiyan, volunteers were paid a stipend, but this time, no such provision has been made.

Mobile Literacy as a Tool to Access Information

Assistant Project Officer Ruby Verma said that apart from teaching, mobile literacy will also be taught. This will help people avoid cyber crimes and also enable them to access information about various government schemes. Farmers will be able to access information about schemes related to agriculture, and they will also be taught how to operate bank accounts and maintain diaries.

Barmer has the Highest Target, Jaisalmer the Lowest

According to the department, Barmer district has the highest target of educating 1 lakh 75 thousand people, including 43,250 men and 1 lakh 31 thousand 250 women. Jaisalmer district has the lowest target of educating 21,000 people.

District-wise Breakdown

| District | Men | Women | Total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sri Ganganagar | 13,250 | 39,750 | 53,000 |
| Hanumangarh | 12,000 | 36,000 | 48,000 |
| Total | 50,000 | 15,00,000 | 20,00,000 |

Officials Speak

"We have been given a target of educating 53,000 people in the district. Currently, a survey is being conducted to identify illiterate people. This time, we are also teaching mobile literacy," said Panna Lal Kadela, CEO, Samssa, Sri Ganganagar.