LITERACY MISSION

The National Literacy Mission (NLM) is a nationwide program started by Government of India in 1988 with the approval of the Cabinet as an independent and autonomous wing of the Ministry of HRD (the then Department of Education).

National Literacy Mission (NLM) was set up by the government of India on 5th May 1988 with an aim to eradicate illiteracy in the country by imparting functional literacy to non-literates. Thus, National Literacy Mission (NLM) was established not only to make everybody just self reliant in three R’s- reading, writing and arithmetic but also to make them aware of the development issues affecting the society. The target group of NLM is people between the age of 15 and 35. National Literate Mission works under the guidance of National Literacy Mission Authority, an independent wing of Ministry of Human Resources and Development.
The National Literacy Mission (NLM) has two flagship programmes- Total literacy programmes and Post literacy Programme through which it gives shape to its aims. But with the revitalization of National Literacy Mission Programme on 30th September 1999, both the campaigns have come under one single project: ‘Literacy Campaigns an Operation Restoration’.

The NLM initiated its first successful literacy campaign in Kottayam city of Kerala followed by Ernakulam district of the same state. Till Novermber 2002, 596 districts out of the total 600 districts of the country had been covered up by the National Literacy Mission (NLM) under the total literacy campaign programme. Out of which, 191 was in the post literacy phase and 238 in the continuing education phase.

The initiation of total literacy campaigns by the National Literacy Mission has achieved due recognisition also. The UN agency-UNESCO in year 1999 conferred upon it UNESCO Noma Literacy Prize. It also received appreciation of the jury for the teaching learning material produced by it and for the voice raised by it to make quality primary education in schools.

The National Literacy Mission was established in the year 1988 and launched by the Government of India on May 5, 1988 with the goal of eradicating illiteracy from the country by catering to the section of the society that requires education the most and will benefit from it. Thus, the National Literacy Mission was established not with the only motive of making every individual of the country self reliant in the three R’s – Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic but so by making them aware of the developmental issues that cause hurdles to the growth of the society. The target group for this mission was set between the age group of 15 to 35. This Mission worked under the administration of the National Literacy Mission Authority which was an independent wing of the Department of Education.