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Nav Bharat Literacy Program
The Union Education Ministry has taken note of the inspiring artwork of Ananya Chavan, a Class 10 student from Ratnagiri, who volunteered to teach her illiterate elderly grandparents.
It so happened that Ananya came to know about Nav Bharat Literacy Campaign from her school principal Anil Chavan Godutai Jambhekar. He decided to educate both his illiterate grandparents. As soon as he got time, he started teaching them literacy lessons. He also drew a sketch of him teaching his grandparents on the board. His art teacher Anil Sagvekar asked him to draw this picture on the class board so that everyone would pay attention to his art and inspire others to educate their uneducated families. The drawing made by him gradually went viral in the school and the entire state. Rajendra Lathe, lawyer of Ratnagiri Diet and district coordinator of the campaign, sent this photo to Rajesh Kshirsagar, Deputy Director of State Planning. When he sent it to the Union Education Ministry, Delhi also took notice of his artwork and posted it on Twitter and Facebook pages for all to see. Ulas- Under Nav Bharat Literacy Program, the aim of this program is to make illiterate members of the family literate by giving them time. That's exactly what Ananya has shown in this work of art. The Union Education Ministry has tweeted their concept drawing with the title 'Let's Make India'. This is the third work of art in the state that the Center has taken notice of in this scheme.
The implementation of Navbharat Literacy Program started in the state from 8th September, World Literacy Day. Schools are expected to conduct surveys to find illiterates and make them literate with the help of volunteers. Literacy classes are going on in some parts of the state. Earlier, the Union Education Ministry had also taken cognizance of the photo and inspirational pictures of 76-year-old Babai Maskar of Chinchani (District Satara) on his first day of literacy class. 72 year old Sushila of Baramati (District Pune) and 9 year old grandmother Ruchita of Kshirsagar. Those pictures have been posted on Ullas' Facebook page. The state has also started using them for publicity in Navbharat Literacy Campaign.
In this scheme, 'Jan Jan Sakshar' is the tagline of the Central Government and 'Literacy to Prosperity' is the tagline of the State. The state's target is to make 12 lakh 40 thousand illiterate people literate in the last and current year. Out of which, till the end of December 22, online registration of 1,47,873 illiterates has been done in the state. Out of which 46,045 online tagging works have been completed. Online registration of 18,232 volunteers and 9,747 tagging has been completed. According to the 2011 census, there are 1 crore 63 lakh illiterate persons aged 15 and above in the state. Pune district has the highest number of illiterates in the state and Sindhudurg district has the lowest number of illiterates. So far, 4,518 illiterates and 1975 volunteers have been registered in Ratnagiri district.
“Educated members of the family should be committed to making the illiterate members literate. Also they will have to register online in the nearest school.
-Dr. Mahesh Palkar, Director of Teaching (Planning), Pune
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