Ensuring ‘Education for All’ Through ULLAS
It is time to empower adults aged 15 and above from all backgrounds who missed formal schooling, helping them integrate into society and contribute to the nation’s growth
According to the Census 2011, India faces a significant literacy challenge, with 25.76 crore non-literate individuals in the 15 years and above age group, comprising 9.08 crore males and 16.68 crore females.
Despite the progress made under the Saakshar Bharat programme, which certified 7.64 crore individuals as literate between 2009-10 and 2017-18, an estimated 18.12 crore adults in India remain non-literate. This substantial figure underscores the urgent need to address the education gap and strive toward achieving literacy for all in the nation.
ULLAS – A Step Towards Literate India
ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, also known as the New India Literacy Programme (NILP), is a centrally sponsored initiative that aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It aims to empower adults aged 15 and above from all backgrounds who missed formal schooling, helping them integrate into society and contribute to the nation’s growth.
The programme focuses on imparting functional literacy including reading, writing, and numeracy skills, and enriches learners with critical life skills, fostering lifelong learning.
Implemented through volunteerism, ULLAS promotes social responsibility and a sense of duty ‘Kartavya Bodh’, encouraging learners to access educational content in regional languages via the DIKSHA Portal and the ULLAS mobile app. Certificates awarded to learners and volunteer teachers further boost confidence and motivation, driving continuous progress.
Vision
The vision of the ULLAS Scheme is to make Bharat – ‘Jan Jan Saakshar’ and is based on the spirit of ‘Kartvya Bodh’ and is being implemented through volunteerism.
Implementation Duration
Government of India approved the scheme for implementation during FYs 2022-2027.
Objective
To cover non-literates of the age group of 15 years and above in all States/UTs
The target for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for FYs 2022-27 is 5 (five) crore learners, with 1 crore learners per year by using “Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS)”. OTLAS is a computer application embedded in the Web Portal/Mobile App under ULLAS developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC)
Components
ULLAS scheme has five components, namely;
• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy,
• Critical Life Skills (which include, financial literacy, digital literacy, legal literacy, healthcare and awareness, childcare and education, family welfare, etc),
• Basic Education for providing appropriate equivalence
• Vocational Skills (Skill development will be a part of the continuous learning process for neo-literates to obtain local employment),
• Continuing Education (This includes engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences, technology, culture, sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or use to local learners)
Salient Features
Salient Features of the scheme are as follows:
• School will be a Unit for the implementation of the scheme.
• Schools to be used for surveying beneficiaries and volunteers.
• Flexibility for States/UTs will be provided to undertake innovative activities.
• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be imparted through Critical Life Skills to all non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above.
• Use of Technologies to impart Adult Education for wider coverage of the scheme.
• CSR/Philanthropic support may be received by hosting ICT support, providing volunteer support, opening facilitation centers for learners, and for providing IT access to economically weaker learners in the form of cell phones, etc.
• Priority will be given in terms of categories to girls and women, SC/ST/OBC/Minorities, Persons with Special Needs (Divyangjans), Marginalized/ Nomadic/ Construction workers/ labourers/etc. who can substantially and immediately benefit from adult education. In terms of location/area, the focus shall be on all aspirational districts of NITI Aayog, districts with literacy rates less than the National/State average, districts with female literacy rates less than 60% as per the 2011 Census, Districts/ Blocks with large SC/ST/ Minority population, Educationally Backward Blocks, Left Wing Extremism Affected districts.
• Convergence with Ministries/Departments for effective implementation of the scheme.
ULLAS as Janandolan
• Participation of about 3 crore stakeholders during Literacy Week from 1st to 8th September 2023
• An estimated 20 lakh students from Teacher Education and Higher Education Institutions will be actively involved.
• Support will be garnered from PRIs, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, and an estimated 50 lakh NYSK, NSS, and NCC volunteers.
• State/UTs will promote individual/ family/ village/ district success stories through various platforms.
• It will utilize all types of media–Electronic, Print, Folk & Interpersonal platforms including social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TV channels, radio, etc.
• Assessment of Literacy will be conducted in local schools using a scientific format to capture the real-life learning and skills for functional literacy through FLNAT, twice in a year. Certificate of literacy will be jointly signed by NIOS and DSEL to be issued to the learner.
Financial Outlay
The financial outlay of “ULLAS” is Rs.1037.90 crore, which includes a Central share of Rs.700 crore and a State share of Rs.337.90 crore respectively.
Implementation
The scheme is implemented through volunteerism in hybrid mode. Training, orientations, and workshops of volunteers are organized through face-to-face mode. All material and resources are provided digitally for easy access to registered volunteers through easily accessible digital modes, viz, TV, radio, cell phone-based free/open-source Apps/portals, etc.
Further, the scheme incentivizes the Student Volunteers through credits in school/ university and appreciation through means like certificates, appreciation letters, felicitation, etc. UGC, AICTE, and NCTE have already issued directions to the affiliated institutions to allocate credits to the students actively participating as volunteers in the ULLAS scheme.
Progress
The ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram has made significant strides in advancing literacy across India. The scheme has already benefited more than 77 lakh people nationwide who have appeared for the literacy test. The ULLAS Mobile App has garnered over 1.33 crore learners and 35 lakh volunteer teachers, showcasing the widespread reach and impact of this initiative (as of June 25, 2024).
In a remarkable achievement, Ladakh was declared a Fully Functional Literate region under the ULLAS programme on June 25, 2024, after surpassing 97% literacy. This milestone underscores Ladakh’s dedication to empowering its citizens through foundational literacy, numeracy, and critical life skills.
ULLAS Platform
As part of the scheme, learners are encouraged to access online content (ULLAS Primers) in their local languages through the ULLAS Mobile App and ULLAS Portal which has material in 22 languages. Both learners and volunteers can also register themselves on ULLAS App available on Android and IOS platform.
Link for ULLAS Mobile App:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.np.nilp
https://apps.apple.com/in/app/ullas/id6447245653
Link for ULLAS Portal:
https://nilp.education.gov.in/nilp/#/primer
To conclude, ULLAS – New India Literacy Programme (NILP) is much more than a literacy program; It is a movement, a drive towards a bright future and empowered citizens. It believes that literacy is a fundamental human right and strives to make this right accessible to all. The learners who embark on this journey not only learn to read and write but are also able to make a significant difference in their lives, their livelihoods and their communities. Each word read, every number calculated and every thought understood brings them one step closer to their dreams, and shall continue to do it in the future as well.
