Tripura, 3rd Fully Functional Literate State after Mizoram & Goa

The Northeastern state of Tripura has become the 3rd state in India to achieve full functional literacy after Mizoram and Goa. Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha announced this at a function held in the state capital, Agartala, to honour the top scorer of the various districts in the Foundational and Numeracy Assessment Test.

The best overall performance award was given to the North Tripura district. The Sepahijala district won the first position amongst the districts, while the West Tripura and Unakoti districts secured the second and third positions, respectively.

Tripura is the country's fourth State/Union Territory to achieve this feat after the Union Territory of Ladakh, Mizoram and Goa in the chronological order.

Definition of Full Literacy and Functional Literacy 

The National Literacy Mission, launched by the Government of India in 1988, defined a  State/Union Territory (UT) as fully literate if more than 90% of its population can read, write in any Indian language and do basic arithmetic. 

Kerala was the first state to achieve full literacy under this definition in 1991, when the 1991 census recorded a 90.90% literacy rate.

Functional Literacy

To promote functional literacy in the country, the Government of India in 2022 launched a new scheme - ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram or the New India Literacy Programme. Under this programme, a different definition was adopted to declare a State or UT as a fully functional literate state.

Under the ULLAS definition, a State or UT is fully functionally literate if 94 % of its population is functionally literate.

How is it decided?

• The ULLAS scheme includes five components: Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills, Continuing Education, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
• The person must take a Foundational and Numeracy Assessment Test. If it is successful, the person is considered functionally literate.
• Based on these criteria, the Union Territory of Ladakh was the first in the country to become fully functionally literate. It was followed by Mioram, Goa, and now Tripura.

About ULLAS or NILP 

It is a central government scheme with an outlay of Rs 1037.90 crore, with the central share being Rs 700 crore and the State share Rs 337.90 crore.

Duration - 2022-2057.

Feature

• The state/UT government has the freedom to set its own target for functional literacy.
• Adults aged 15 years and above who have missed formal schooling are targeted.
• The programme is being implemented through community and voluntary participation.
• The state government sets their own targets.

What is Functional Literacy? 

Functional Literacy is a broader term than Basic Literacy.

Basic literacy- A person’s ability to read, write, and do simple arithmetic(3R).

A person is functionally literate if: 

• Can read, write and do simple arithmetic,
• Aware of the causes of his/her social and economic deprivation,
• Has the ability to move towards amelioration of his/her condition by participating in the process of development, 
• Acquire skills to improve their economic status and general well-being, and 
• It has imbibed values such as national integration, women's equality, environmental conservation, and observing small family norms.