MASS LITERACY CAMPAIGN AND THE TARGETED NEW DELIVERY SYSTEM IN SAAKSHAR BHARAT MISSION-2012 IN CHAMBA DISTRICT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Before and after independence, the various literacy campaigns have been launched in India so that every person of the country became ‘literate’. These are Basic Literacy Campaign, Farmers’ Functional Literacy Campaign, Shramik Vidyapeeth Programme, National Adult Education Programme, Total Literacy Programme, Post Literacy Programme, Continuing Education Programme, National Literacy Mission and Saakshar Bharat Mission (SBM)-2012. To achieve the objectives of these programmes, different approaches have been used like: Selective Intensive Approach, Mass Campaign Approach, Technocratic Approach and Computer Based Functional Literacy Approach.

The present study deals with SBM-2012 which has been launched only in those districts of the country where the literacy rate was found below 50 percent in order to achieve the targets of Mass Literacy Campaign (MLC) with special focus on females, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes. Chamba district had been selected for the implementation of SBM-2012 in Himachal Pradesh because it had female literacy rate 48.85 percent according to 2001 census. At present, it has the females’ literacy rate above of 62.14 percent according to 2011 censes, The thesis aimed at evaluation of the process involved in MLC for SBM -2012 and its various supportive, academic, technical as well as implementing agencies in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh to explore the progress made in the literacy status, enrolment of learners in the classes, number of successfully declared learners on the basis of their learning outcomes and financial aspects of the campaign at the district level along with analysis of perceptions regarding overall functioning of MLC for SBM-2012 as perceived by the administrators and organizers, field functionaries, community leaders and adult learners (i.e., neo-literates, illiterates and semi-literates).

The chapter one in the present study provides an overall history of literacy campaigns being carried out in India and similarly, in Himachal Pradesh. The chapter two provides a detailed profile of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh includes its historical, geographical and demographical aspects with its tribes. The chapter three reviews the literature available on literacy campaign in world and India, significance of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, delimitations of the study and operational definition of the terms used. Chapter fourth is about the research design includes case study method and its application in the present study, sources of data, interview schedules and their development etc. Chapter fifth deals with the evaluation of the process involved in MLC for SBM-2012, provides an overview of State Resource Centre, Shimla for MLC of SBM-2012, a detailed information regarding the organizational and management structure of SBM-2012, the details about the role of Zilla Saaksharta Samity, Chamba and an overview about the views and perceptions of the community leaders and field functionaries working in MLC for literacy movement. Chapter sixth includes summary, main findings, educational implications and suggestions for further research.

Ultimately an attempt has been made for proposing and suggesting ground plan for the launching of next MLC in the coming decades.