National Literacy Mission (NLM)

The National Literacy Mission (NLM) is a nationwide program started by Government of India in 1988.It aims to educate 80 million adults in the age group of 15 - 35 over an eighty-year period. By "literacy", the NLM means not only learning how to read, write and count but also helping people understand why they are deprived and helping them move towards change.

Eradication of illiteracy from a nation that is set to become the most populated in the world is by no means easy. This was realised in the eighties and the National Literacy Mission came into being to impart a new sense of urgency and seriousness to adult education.

As we set foot in to the new millennium, it gives us the opportunity to reflect upon the efforts we have been making and also to learn from our failures so that we can achieve our target of a sustainable, threshold level of literacy. It is time to assess ongoing programmes and seek new horizons. It is in this context that the Union Cabinet took some momentous decisions in its meeting held on 30th November1999.These decisions, which will have far reaching consequences, have greatly strengthened the mission and given to it a new orientation as well as a resurgent spirit.

According to last census held in 2001, the percentage of female literacy in the country is 54.16%. The literacy rate in the country has increased from 18.33% in 1951 to 65.38% as per 2001 census. The female literacy rate has also increased from 8.86% in 1951 to 54.16%. It is noticed that the female literacy rate during the period 1991-2001 increased by 14.87% whereas male literacy rate rose by 11.72%. Hence the female literacy rate actually increased by 3.15% more compared to male literacy rate.