The basic definition of literacy is having the ability to read and write. India has rolled-out the Right to Education Act, but is yet to witness its complete and proper implementation.
India is home of largest population of illiterate adults in world – 287 million, amounting to 37% of the global total. 47.78 % out of school children are girls. In the next census they will be calculated as illiterate women, which would then have a ripple effect on the education of their children.
Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh are amongst the bottom five states in terms of literacy of Dalits. India’s literacy rate has increased six times since the end of the British rule — from 12% to 74% in 2011, yet, India has the world’s largest population of illiterates.
60 lakh children in India are still out-of-school. India is ranked 123rd out of 135 countries in female literacy rate.
In the background of this scenario, Manthan Sampoorna Vikas Kendra has been working towards spreading holistic education to underprivileged children, under the guidance of His Holiness Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji.
8th September, was International Literacy Day and this year Manthan SVK celebrated this day by spreading awareness about literacy with immense enthusiasm. Various competitions and contests were conducted to make the children more aware of the importance and significance of education in life.
These competitions ranged from drawing contests, essay writing contests and poster making contests to inter class debates. The impact and need of literacy was also manifested by fun activities like rallies with slogans, inspirational street plays on themes like Importance of Education, moral sessions and many more. Manthan SVK centers of Bihar state celebrated the event on a large scale, spreading the message of the importance of literacy in the nearby villages.
Over 2000 participants were part of the event, and took home loads of knowledge and awareness on the importance of Education in human lives.
