National
ULLAS Mela 2024
⇒ Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the two-day ULLAS Mela on 6th February 2024 at the National Bal Bhavan, New Delhi.
- ULLAS achievers, volunteers and winners of the Poster-making Competition were felicitated during the event.
- ULLAS Concise Primer & Margdarshika (NCERT); ULLAS Primers/Margdarshika (States &UTs); Jingle on ULLAS (NCERT); ULLAS: Documentary Film (MoE); and Mobile Hai Sahi – Short Animated Film on Critical Life Skills (NCERT) were also digitally released by the Minister.
Organised by:
The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education organised ULLAS Mela on 6th-7th February, 2024 in collaboration with CNCL, NCERT to showcase various National and State level activities under ULLAS- Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.
Highlights:
- The event was attended by seven hundred participants from various States/UTs along with more than 100 dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, States/UTs and various organizations.
- The event comprised various activities including felicitation of Neo-literates from the States/UTs who have successfully certified in the Foundational Literacy Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), the launch of the ULLAS Concise Primers of the states/UTs in local languages, sessions on ‘Best Practices’, panel discussion, Prize distribution to the winners of poster-making competition held during the International Literacy Week.
About ‘Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram’:
To achieve the target of 100% literacy by 2030, the Government of India is implementing a centrally sponsored innovative scheme called Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Program for the period of FYs 2022-2027.
The scheme is popularly known as ULLAS: Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society, upholding the motto “Jan-Jan Sakshar”.
The scheme consists of five components:
- Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
- Critical Life Skills
- Basic Education
- Vocational Skills
- Continuing Education
Key Points:
- The scheme is targeted at all non-literates of age 15 years and above.
- The scheme, in line with NEP 2020, targets adults (aged 15 and above) who could not go to school or attain formal education.
- It focuses on imparting Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), through critical life skills, such as Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, Legal Literacy, Environmental Literacy, Health & Hygiene, etc.
- Implemented in a hybrid mode, States/UTs have flexibility in offline, online, or combined approaches.
- ULLAS is to be implemented through VOLUNTEERISM, encouraging citizen participation, emphasizing DUTY or Kartavya Bodh towards nation-building.
- The scheme contributes to India’s growth, by making India जन जन साक्षर.
- The ULLAS App has been developed to register learners, volunteers and also containing teaching learning material for them.
- The learners are certified as literate by way of twice-a-year assessments in September & March.
Ministry of Education launches EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme
⇒ Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme on 6th February 2024 in New Delhi.
During the event Shri Pradhan said that, as envisioned in the NEP 2020, the Vidyanjali Scholarship Program symbolises a whole-of-society approach to empowerment through access and opportunities of education, particularly to students belonging to economically disadvantaged sections.
Key Points:
- The EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme, in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020, is a powerful force aimed at revolutionizing opportunities for quality education and access to higher education institutions.
- Going beyond mere enrolment, this initiative guarantees access to high-quality learning systems by facilitating a seamless transition from secondary to higher education and extending financial support for the meritorious Navodaya Vidyalaya students who lack means.
- In addition to extending financial assistance to economically marginalised and meritorious students of Navodaya Vidyalayas, this endeavour by the Government of India also encourages involvement from the private sector through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, thereby making way of joining forces between the Government and corporates towards an educated India, ensuring no child is left behind.