RAIPUR,CG: Chhattisgarh under Nav Bharat Literacy Program ‘Ullas’, in the first phase will target Scheduled Castes, Tribes and minorities who have majority population, districts and educationally backward development blocks.

The annual plan for the implementation of Ullas program in the state has been approved by the Project Approval Board.

Chhattisgarh State Literacy Mission Authority in coordination with Directorate of Public Instruction and Samagra Shiksha will implement it. The State Literacy Centre will provide the academic support. School Education Secretary Siddharth Komal Singh Pardeshi has asked all the collectors and CEOs of District Panchayats of the state to implement it on priority.

As per the recommendation of the National Education Policy 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, the target of 100 percent basic literacy for all youth, adults, men and women is to be achieved by 2030.

The aim is not only to be self-reliant in literacy, reading, writing and numeracy. It is functionality, empowerment and to keep learning further.

Under Ullas programme of the Central Government, it is being run in aspirational districts and leftist extremism affected districts, districts with literacy rate lower than the national and state average, districts where female literacy rate is less than 60 percent as per 2011 census.

The work will be done to make illiterates in the age group of 15 to 35 years and then illiterates above 35 years of age in the first phase in places where Scheduled Castes, Tribes and minorities have majority population, districts and educationally backward development blocks.

Ullas Literacy Centres (Social Awareness Centres) will be established in the identified schools. The illiterate people will be made neo-literate by providing them basic literacy and numeracy by providing them 200 hours of teaching. To provide important life skills, basic education, vocational skill development, continuing education to the newly literate learners - advanced material in art, science, technology, culture, sports entertainment and other subjects as per local interest.

The program will be conducted through volunteers in online and offline mode. To encourage the volunteers, they will be given a certificate. Apart from this, students of classes above 5th class working as volunteers as well as teachers of courses like M.Ed, B.Ed, B.El.Ed/BTC/JBT etc., educational institutions, members of self-help groups under community participation, Anganwadi workers. Cooperation of retired teachers, Panchayat workers will be taken.