116-397: [REDACTED] The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was established on 21 June 1991. The foundation works on a wide range of issues stretching from development of knowledge, to health, disability, authorization of the destitute, livelihoods and natural resource management. Its current focus areas are community welfare, literacy , health and special programmes for children and women. All donations to
232-550: A Fundamental Right for children in the age group of 6–14 years. In order to provide more funds for education, an education cess of 2 percent has been imposed on all direct and indirect central taxes through the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2004. In 2000–01, there were 60,840 pre-primary and pre-basic schools, and 664,041 primary and junior basic schools. Total enrolment at the primary level has increased from 19,200,000 in 1950–51 to 109,800,000 in 2001–02. The number of high schools in 2000–01
348-673: A "campaign for total literacy" in Ernakulam district in the late 1980s, with a "fusion between the district administration headed by its collector on one side and, on the other side, voluntary groups, social activists and others". On 4 February 1990, the Government of Kerala endeavoured to replicate the initiative on a statewide level, launching the Kerala State Literacy Campaign. First, households were surveyed with door-to-door, multistage survey visits to form an accurate picture of
464-567: A UNESCO award in 1981. Extensive impoverishment, entrenched hierarchical social divisions and the lack of correlation between educational attainment and job opportunities are often cited in studies of the hurdles literacy programs face in Bihar. Often, children receiving an education in Bihar face significant challenges due to the regions socio-cultural influences and economic factors. Children from "lower castes" are frequently denied school attendance and harassed when they do attend. In areas where there
580-500: A central agency to combat terrorism was realised. Also, Unique Identification Authority of India was established in February 2009, an agency responsible for implementing the envisioned Multipurpose National Identity Card with the objective of increasing national security and facilitating e-governance. Singh's administration initiated a massive reconstruction effort in Kashmir to stabilise
696-592: A change in the rural scenario. Specific mention is to be made regarding the role of the People's Science Movements (PSMs) and Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS) in the Literacy Mission in India during the early 1990s. Several non-governmental organisations such as Pratham , ITC, Rotary Club , Lions Club have worked to improve the literacy rate in India. Shantha Sinha won a Magsaysay Award in 2003 in recognition of "Her guiding
812-519: A goal of producing 100% literacy in the country within 40 years, i.e. by 1984. Although the 40-year time-frame was derided at the time by leaders of the Indian independence movement as being too long a period to achieve universal literacy, India had only just crossed the 74% level by the 2011 census. The British Indian censuses identify a significant difference in literacy rates, by: sex, religion, caste and state of residence, an example of which may be seen in
928-424: A joint charter called National Strategy For Financial Education (NSFE), detailing initiatives taken by them for financial literacy in India. Also, other market participants like banks, stock exchanges, broking houses, mutual funds, and insurance companies are actively involved in it. The National Centre For Financial Education (NCFE) in consultation with relevant financial sector regulators and stakeholders has prepared
1044-413: A manner that very few others were able to achieve. She questioned me a great deal and made me think the unthinkable. She propounded the left wing interpretation of Keynes, maintaining that the state has to play more of a role if you really want to combine development with social equity. Kaldor influenced me even more; I found him pragmatic, scintillating, stimulating. Joan Robinson was a great admirer of what
1160-578: A one-kilometer (0.62 mi) radius. The centrally sponsored District Primary Education Programme , launched in 1994, had opened more than 160,000 new schools by 2005, including almost 84,000 alternative schools. The bulk of Indian illiterates live in the country's rural areas, where social and economic barriers play an important role in keeping the lowest strata of society illiterate. Government programs alone, however well-intentioned, may not be able to dismantle barriers built over centuries. Major social reformation efforts are sometimes required to bring about
1276-472: A positive indication that growth in female literacy rates (11.8%) was substantially faster than in male literacy rates (6.9%) in the 2001–2011 decadal period, which means the gender gap appears to be narrowing. Literacy involves a continuum of learning enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society." The National Literacy Mission defines literacy as acquiring
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#17328455069971392-796: A similar initiative in 19th century Japan, because "he had experienced as a child what it was like to go hungry to school with the family having no money to buy food". Eventually, the programme covered all children under the age of 15, as well as pregnant women for the first four months of their pregnancy. Tamil Nadu's literacy rate rose from 54.4% in 1981 to 80.3% in 2011. In 2001, the Supreme Court of India instructed all state governments to implement free school lunches in all government-funded schools, but implementation has been patchy due to corruption and social issues. Despite these hurdles, 120 million receive free lunches in Indian schools every day, making it
1508-414: A social structure that is relatively free of hierarchy and strong official intent to produce total literacy. The government identified illiterates and organized an administrative structure that engaged officials and community leaders and was staffed by "animators" who were responsible for teaching five illiterates each. Mizoram established 360 continuing education centers to handle continued education beyond
1624-441: A state visit to India (Delhi- Mumbai ) from 19 to 21 May 2013. Singh paid an official visit to China from 22 to 24 October 2013. Three agreements were signed establishing sister-city partnership between Delhi- Beijing , Kolkata- Kunming and Bangalore- Chengdu . As of 2010, the People's Republic of China was the second biggest trade partner of India. Relations with Afghanistan have improved considerably, with India now becoming
1740-689: Is "the model of what a political leader should be." Singh also received the World Statesman Award in 2010. Henry Kissinger described Singh as "a statesman with vision, persistence and integrity", and praised him for his "leadership, which has been instrumental in the economic transformation underway in India." Singh was ranked 18 on the 2010 Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People . Forbes magazine described Singh as being "universally praised as India's best prime minister since Nehru". Australian journalist Greg Sheridan praised Singh "as one of
1856-500: Is a key for social-economic progress. The 2011 census, indicated a 2001–2011 literacy growth of 97.2%, which is slower than the growth seen during the previous decade. An old analytical 1990 study estimated that it would take until 2060 for India to achieve universal literacy at then-current rate of progress. The census of India pegged the average literacy rate to be 73% in 2011 while National Statistical Commission surveyed literacy to be 77.7% in 2017–18. Literacy rate in urban areas
1972-409: Is discrimination, poor funding and impoverished families means that children often cannot afford textbooks and stationery. When children do get educated, general lack of economic progress in the state means that government jobs are the only alternative to farming labor, yet these jobs, in practice, require bribes to secure – which poorer families cannot afford. This leads to educated youths working on
2088-409: Is hardly a village ... in which there is not at least one school ... many in every town, and in large cities; ... where young natives are taught reading, writing and arithmetic, upon a system so economical ... that there is hardly a cultivator or petty dealer who is not competent to keep his own accounts with a degree of accuracy, in my opinion, beyond what we meet with amongst
2204-550: Is the basic literacy instruction dispensed by barely qualified 'para teachers'. The average pupil teacher ratio for all India is 42:1, implying a teacher shortage. Such inadequacies resulted in a non-standardized school system where literacy rates may differ. Furthermore, the expenditure allocated to education was never above 4.3% of the GDP from 1951 to 2002 despite the target of 6% by the Kothari Commission. This further complicates
2320-433: Is the second census period (after the 1991–2001 census period) when the absolute number of Indian illiterate population declined (by 31,196,847 people), indicating that the literacy growth rate is now outstripping the population growth rate. India's literacy rate is at 75%. Kerala has achieved a literacy rate of 93%. Bihar is the least literate state in India, with a literacy of 61.8%. Several other social indicators of
2436-403: Is the total percentage of the people of an area at a particular time who can read and write with understanding, taking the total population of the area (including below seven years of age) as the denominator. Source: The report on 'Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey – from July 2017 to June 2018. Other than Assam, no other state from
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#17328455069972552-527: Is to create a social climate hostile to child labor, child marriage and other practices that deny children the right to a normal childhood. Today the MV Foundation's bridge schools and programs extend to 4,300 villages. Manmohan Singh Premiership Budgets [REDACTED] Manmohan Singh ( Punjabi: [mənˈmoːɦən ˈsɪ́ŋɡ] ; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist, academician and bureaucrat who served as
2668-507: Is today Pakistan , Singh's family migrated to India during its partition in 1947. After obtaining his doctorate in economics from Oxford , Singh worked for the United Nations during 1966–1969. He subsequently began his bureaucratic career when Lalit Narayan Mishra hired him as an advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry . During the 1970s and 1980s, Singh held several key posts in
2784-476: Is usefulness of education and availability of schools in vicinity in rural areas. There was a shortage of classrooms to accommodate all the students in 2006–2007. In addition, there is no proper sanitation in most schools. The study of 188 government-run primary schools in central and northern India revealed that 59% of the schools had no drinking water facility and 89% no toilets. In 600,000 villages and multiplying urban slum habitats, 'free and compulsory education'
2900-657: The 2014 Indian general election . Singh was never a member of the Lok Sabha but served as a member of the Rajya Sabha , representing the state of Assam from 1991 to 2019 and Rajasthan from 2019 to 2024. Singh was born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on 26 September 1932, in Gah , Punjab , British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan ), into a Sikh family. His mother died when he was very young. His paternal grandmother raised him, and he
3016-557: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other minor parties. On 22 May 2009, Manmohan Singh was sworn in as the prime minister during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan . The 2009 Indian general election was the then largest democratic election in the world held prior to 2014 (834 million), 2019 (912 million) and 2024 (968 million), with an eligible electorate of 714 million. The 2012 report filed by
3132-497: The Golden Quadrilateral and the highway modernisation program that was initiated by Vajpayee 's government. Singh also worked on reforming the banking and financial sectors, as well as public sector companies. The Finance ministry worked towards relieving farmers of their debt and worked towards pro-industry policies. In 2005, Singh's government introduced the value added tax , replacing sales tax . In 2007 and early 2008,
3248-646: The Government of India , such as Chief Economic Advisor (1972–1976), governor of the Reserve Bank (1982–1985) and head of the Planning Commission (1985–1987). In 1991, as India faced a severe economic crisis , the newly elected prime minister, P. V. Narasimha Rao , inducted the apolitical Singh into his cabinet as finance minister . Over the next few years, despite strong opposition, he carried out several structural reforms that liberalised India's economy . Although these measures proved successful in averting
3364-641: The Indian Constitution . India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the act came into force on 1 April 2010. Manmohan Singh continued the pragmatic foreign policy that was started by P.V. Narasimha Rao and continued by Bharatiya Janata Party 's Atal Bihari Vajpayee . Singh continued the peace process with Pakistan initiated by his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Exchange of high-level visits by top leaders from both countries have highlighted his tenure. Efforts have been made during Singh's tenure to end
3480-539: The Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru , Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi . A member of the Indian National Congress , Singh was the first Sikh prime minister of India. He was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term. Born in Gah , West Punjab , in what
3596-493: The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program. The program includes the introduction and improvement of mid-day meals and the opening of schools all over India, especially in rural areas, to fight illiteracy . Singh's government strengthened anti-terror laws with amendments to Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also created soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks , as need for
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3712-580: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1966 to 1969. Later, he was appointed as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Trade by Lalit Narayan Mishra , in recognition of Singh's talent as an economist. From 1969 to 1971, Singh was a professor of international trade at the Delhi School of Economics , University of Delhi . In 1972, Singh was chief economic adviser in
3828-586: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) form the new government under the incumbent Singh, who became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 to win re-election after completing a full five-year term. The Congress and its allies were able to put together a comfortable majority with support from 322 members out of 543 members of the House. These included those of the UPA and the external support from
3944-661: The global problem of inflation impacted India. In 2005, Prime Minister Singh and his government's health ministry started the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM), which mobilised half a million community health workers. This rural health initiative was praised by the American economist Jeffrey Sachs . In 2006, his Government implemented the proposal to reserve 27% of seats in All India Institute of Medical Studies (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs),
4060-536: The 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Singh immediately returned the ₹ 2 lakh (US$ 2,400) he had borrowed from the writer for hiring taxis. Terming him as the best example of integrity, Khushwant Singh stated, "When people talk of integrity, I say the best example is the man who occupies the country's highest office." In 2010, Newsweek magazine recognised him as a world leader who is respected by other heads of state, describing him as "the leader other leaders love." The article quoted Mohamed ElBaradei , who remarked that Singh
4176-574: The Arab states and sub-Saharan Africa, has a literacy level below the threshold level of 75%, but efforts are ongoing to achieve that level. The campaign to achieve at least the threshold literacy level represents the largest ever civil and military mobilization in the country. International Literacy Day is celebrated each year on 8 September with the aim to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. Financial regulators in India such as RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, etc. have created
4292-562: The CAG in Parliament of India states that due to the allocation of coal blocks to certain private companies without bidding process the nation suffered an estimated loss of Rs 1.85 trillion ( short scale ) between 2005 and 2009 in which Manmohan Singh was the coal minister of India. Manmohan Singh declined to appear before a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in April 2013 when called upon by one of
4408-450: The Gandhi family and other senior Congress leaders sat on both board. In 2005-6 and 2007–8, while Congress led UPA was in power, it received funds from several ministries, public sector banks and PSUs . It have also been criticised for receiving funds from Sonia Gandhi led PMNRF , a fund set up by public donations. In September 2016, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that
4524-576: The Hindu temple or mosque of each village had a school attached to it and the children of all communities attended these schools – surveyed the number and types of indigenous Indian educational institutions still operating in the early nineteenth century, numbers and status of students attending, and the instruction given. In 1821, one such official, G. L. Prendergast of the Bombay Presidency Governor's Council, stated: ... there
4640-716: The IAEA, Nuclear Suppliers Group and the US Congress , India and the US signed the agreement on 10 October 2008 with Pranab Mukherjee representing India. Singh had the first official state visit to the White House during the administration of US President Barack Obama . The visit took place in November 2009, and several discussions took place, including on trade and nuclear power. Relations have improved with Japan and European Union countries, like
4756-551: The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other central institutions of higher education for Other Backward Classes which led to 2006 Indian anti-reservation protests . On 2 July 2009, Singh ministry introduced the Right to Education Act (RTE) act. Eight IIT's were opened in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Bihar, Gujarat , Orissa, Punjab , Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh . The Singh government also continued
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4872-451: The Indian market, enjoying widespread success in these matters. Singh, along with his finance minister, P. Chidambaram , presided over a period where the Indian economy grew with an 8–9% economic growth rate. In 2007, India achieved its highest GDP growth rate of 9% and became the second fastest growing major economy in the world. Singh's ministry enacted a National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2005. Singh's government continued
4988-533: The Indian parliament) and on 4 September 2013 in Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Indian parliament). The bill received the assent of the President of India , Pranab Mukherjee on 27 September 2013. The Act came into force from 1 January 2014. Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was enacted on 4 August 2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of
5104-546: The Ministry of Finance, and in 1976 he was secretary in the Finance Ministry. In 1980–1982 he was at the Planning Commission, and in 1982, he was appointed governor of the Reserve Bank of India under then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and held the post until 1985. He went on to become the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission (India) from 1985 to 1987. Following his tenure at the Planning Commission, he
5220-612: The NREGA has been successful at various degrees, in various regions, the RTI act has proved crucial in India's fight against corruption. New cash benefits were also introduced for widows, pregnant women, and landless persons. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 was passed on 29 August 2013 in the Lok Sabha (lower house of
5336-459: The Northeast was included in the survey. The table below shows the adult and youth literacy rates for India and some neighboring countries as complied by UNESCO in 2015. Adult literacy rate is based on the 15+ years age group, while the youth literacy rate is for the 15–24 years age group (i.e. youth is a subset of adults). One of the main factors contributing to this relatively low literacy rate
5452-496: The PM and the party that India is facing an unprecedented crisis. However the rank and file of the party resisted deregulation. So P. Chidambaram and Singh explained to the party that the economy would collapse if it was not deregulated. To the dismay of the party, Rao allowed Singh to deregulate the Indian economy . Subsequently, Singh, who had thus far been one of the most influential architects of India's socialist economy, eliminated
5568-822: The Prime Minister of India said that he was pained to note that "only 47 out of 100 children enrolled in class I reach class VIII, putting the dropout rate at 52.78 percent." It is estimated that at least 35 million, and possibly as many as 60 million, children aged 6–14 years are not in school. The large proportion of illiterate females is another reason for the low literacy rate in India. Inequality based on gender differences resulted in female literacy rates being lower at 65.46% than that of their male counterparts at 82.14%. Due to strong stereotyping of female and male roles, sons are thought of to be more useful and hence are educated. Females are pulled to help out on agricultural farms at home as they are increasingly replacing
5684-791: The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation along with the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. The committee will consist of the representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax Department. In 2022, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation's Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence has been revoked by the Central Government. Literacy in India Literacy in India
5800-555: The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had received donations from Zakir Naik in 2011 despite the government having had expressed security concern with regard to Naik's TV channel . Later, a congress spokesperson claimed that the Rs 50 lakhs were returned. In June 2020, the BJP accused the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation of accepting a donation of $ 300,000 from the Chinese government during 2005-06 and questioned whether it
5916-585: The Rajya Sabha in April 2024 and was succeeded by Sonia Gandhi . The Independent described Singh as "one of the world's most revered leaders" and "a man of uncommon decency and grace", noting that he drives a Maruti 800 , one of the humblest cars in the Indian market. Khushwant Singh lauded Singh as the best prime minister India has had, even rating him higher than Jawaharlal Nehru . He mentions an incident in his book Absolute Khushwant: The Low-Down on Life, Death and Most things In-between where after losing
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#17328455069976032-571: The Shiksha Karmi initiative and the Lok Jumbish programme are credited with the rapid improvement. Virtually every village in Rajasthan now has primary school coverage. When statehood was granted to Rajasthan in 1956, it was the least literate state in India with a literacy rate of 18%. The right to education is a fundamental right, and UNESCO aimed at education for all by 2015. India, along with
6148-565: The Total Literacy and Post Literacy programs. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan ( Hindi for Total Literacy Campaign ) was launched in 2001 to ensure that all children in the 6–14-year age-group attend school and complete eight years of schooling by 2010. An important component of the scheme is the Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education , meant primarily for children in areas with no formal school within
6264-452: The UPA return with an increased mandate, with Singh retaining the office of prime minister. Over the next few years, Singh's second ministry government faced a number of corruption charges over the organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games , the 2G spectrum allocation case and the allocation of coal blocks . After his term ended in 2014 he opted out from the race for the office of the PM during
6380-519: The United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Relations with Iran have continued and negotiations over the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline have taken place. New Delhi hosted an India–Africa Summit in April 2006 which was attended by the leaders of 15 African states. Relations have improved with other developing countries, particularly Brazil and South Africa. Singh carried forward the momentum which
6496-696: The United States . He visited the United States in July 2005 initiating negotiations over the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement . This was followed by George W. Bush 's successful visit to India in March 2006, during which the declaration over the nuclear agreement was made, giving India access to American nuclear fuel and technology while India will have to allow IAEA inspection of its civil nuclear reactors . After more than two years for more negotiations, followed by approval from
6612-619: The border dispute with People's Republic of China . In November 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited India which was followed by Singh's visit to Beijing in January 2008. A major development in Sino-Indian relations was the reopening of the Nathula Pass in 2006 after being closed for more than four decades. Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang paid
6728-538: The close supervision of the State Literacy Mission Authority (SLMA) headed by the chief minister. Tripura attained 87.75 percent literacy in the 2011 census, from the 12th position in the 2001 census to the 4th position in the 2011 census. The Tripura Chief Minister said that efforts were underway to literate leftover 5.35 percent people and achieve complete success in a state of about 3.8 million people. The programs were not just implemented to make
6844-424: The community (such as free school lunches). Bihar has significantly raised the literacy rate as per the 2011 census. Literacy rate in year 1951 was only 13.49%, 21.95% in year 1961, 23.17% in year 1971 and 32.32% in year 1981. The literacy rate has risen from 39% in 1991 to 47% in 2001 to 63.8% in 2011. The Government of Bihar has launched several programs to boost literacy, and its Department of Adult Education won
6960-556: The contemporary issues. It also encourages research scholars, scientists, economists and social scientists to undertake projects which can provide inputs towards policy framing and decision making. Some of the speakers include Robert McNamara , Nelson Mandela , Hillary Clinton , and Edward Said . The foundation enables physically challenged young people to access better opportunities by awarding motorised vehicles. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has been working on issues of livelihoods and Natural Resource Management since 2001. This programme
7076-674: The crisis, and enhanced Singh's reputation globally as a leading reform-minded economist, the incumbent Congress Party fared poorly in the 1996 general election . Subsequently, Singh was leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India ) during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government of 1998–2004. In 2004, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance came to power, its chairperson Sonia Gandhi unexpectedly relinquished
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#17328455069977192-584: The delay and price hike of several Russian weapons to be delivered to India, relations between the two remained strong with India and Russia signing various agreements to increase defence, nuclear energy and space co-operation. India held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. The results of the election were announced on 16 May 2009. Strong showing in Andhra Pradesh , Rajasthan , Maharashtra , Tamil Nadu , Kerala , West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh helped
7308-451: The detail. "As a homage to the late Shri Rajiv Gandhi and in support of the laudable objectives of the foundation, Government has decided to contribute Rs 100 crore to the foundation at the rate of Rs 20 crores per annum for a period of five years beginning from the current year," the then Finance Minister said in the Budget speech. After huge political uproar, the decision was overturned. In
7424-514: The environment, women's equality, observance of small family norms. The working definition of literacy in the Indian census since 1991 is as follows: Literacy rate Effective literacy rate = number of literate persons aged 7 or above population aged 7 and above × 100 {\displaystyle {\text{Effective literacy rate}}={\frac {\text{number of literate persons aged 7 or above}}{\text{population aged 7 and above}}}\times 100} Crude literacy rate
7540-427: The execution of the campaign. Himachal Pradesh underwent a "Schooling Revolution" in the 1961–2001 period that has been called "even more impressive than Kerala's." Kerala has led the nation in literacy rates since the 19th century and seen sustained initiatives for over 150 years, whereas Himachal Pradesh's literacy rate in 1961 was below the national average in every age group. In the three decadal 1961–1991 period,
7656-474: The farms, much as uneducated ones do, and leads parents to question the investment of sending children to school in the first place. Bihar's government schools have also faced teacher absenteeism, leading the state government to threaten to withhold of salaries of teachers who failed to conduct classes on a regular basis. To incentivize students to attend, the government announced a Rupee 1 per school-day grant to poor children who show up at school. Tripura has
7772-659: The female literacy in the 15–19 years age group went from 11% to 86%. School attendance for both boys and girls in the 6–14-year age group stood at over 97% each, when measured in the 1998–99 school year. Mizoram is the second most literate state in India (91.58 percent), with Serchhip and Aizawl districts being the two most literate districts in India (literacy rate is 98.76% and 98.50%), both in Mizoram. Mizoram's literacy rate rose rapidly after independence: from 31.14% in 1951 to 88.80% in 2001. As in Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram has
7888-611: The foundation are tax deductible to the extent of 50 percent under section 80G of the Income Tax Act. The foundation is headed by Sonia Gandhi , who is also the leader of the Indian National Congress Party. In October 2022, ministry of home affairs cancelled the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 license of Rajiv Gandhi foundation over allegations of violation of laws. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation
8004-505: The foundation has set up 1648 libraries in villages and slums across 22 states in India. In 2013, RGF partnered with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and worked with the public libraries in Barabanki and Rai Bareilly districts of Uttar Pradesh. It plans to open a library in each village of India. In 1991, Manmohan Singh the then Minister of Finance had tried to allocate the foundation a sum of 100 crore rupees. The Budget Speech of 1991-92 by Manmohan Singh presented on July 24, 1991, has
8120-434: The foundation setup Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (RGICS) to provide research based ideas, analysis, policy and practical programmes into contemporary problem. RGICS programmes cover economic reform, science and technology, social problem, public affairs and international relations. The Institute organizes conferences, lectures, workshops, short studies and projects and invites experts to lend their insight into
8236-457: The government. In the educational system prevailed in the state, schooling is for 10 years which is subdivided into lower primary, upper primary and high school. After 10 years of secondary schooling, students typically enroll in Higher Secondary Schooling in one of the three major streams— liberal arts, commerce or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional undergraduate programs. Kerala launched
8352-445: The historian Dharampal , based on his analysis of British documents from the early 1800s, pre-colonial education in India was widespread and fairly accessible: While attendance was much lower for girls than boys, children of all castes (including Shudra and "other castes") and social strata attended the formal, out-of-home education. Dharampal notes that senior British officials, such as Thomas Munro – who reported that
8468-499: The initial literacy teaching and to provide an educational safety net for school drop-outs. One of the pioneers of the scheme that started providing cooked meals to children in corporation schools in the Madras city in 1923. The programme was introduced on a large scale in the 1960s under the chief ministership of K. Kamaraj. The first major thrust came in 1982 when Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. M. G. Ramachandran, decided to universalize
8584-465: The largest regional donor to Afghanistan. During Afghan President Hamid Karzai 's visit to New Delhi in August 2008, Manmohan Singh increased the aid package to Afghanistan for the development of more schools, health clinics, infrastructure, and defence. Under the leadership of Singh, India emerged as one of the single largest aid donors to Afghanistan. Singh's government worked towards stronger ties with
8700-515: The largest school meal programme in the world. Although the decadal rise from 2001 to 2011 was only 6.7% (60.4% in 2001 to 67.7% in 2011), Rajasthan had the biggest percentage decadal (1991–2001) increase in the literacy of all Indian states, from about 38% to about 61%, a leapfrog that has been termed "spectacular" by some observers. Aggressive state government action, in the form of the District Primary Education Programme,
8816-416: The literacy landscape and areas that needed special focus. Then, Kala Jāthas (cultural troupes) and Sāksharata Pada Yātras (Literacy Foot Marches) were organized to generate awareness of the campaign and create a receptive social atmosphere for the program. An integrated management system was created involving state officials, prominent social figures, local officials and senior voluntary workers to oversee
8932-481: The literacy problem in India. Severe caste disparities also exist. Discrimination against lower castes has resulted in high dropout rates and low enrollment rates. The National Sample Survey Organisation and the National Family Health Survey collected data in India on the percentage of children completing primary school which are reported to be only 36.8% and 37.7% respectively. On 21 February 2005,
9048-527: The lower orders in our own country. William Adam, missionary and later joutnalist, reported in 1830, that there were around one hundred thousand schools in Bengal and Bihar. In the colonial era, the community-funded gurukul system and temple-based charity education, began to decline as the centrally funded institutions promoted by the British colonial administration began to gradually take over. From 1881 and 1947,
9164-409: The males on such activities which require no formal education. Fewer than 2% of girls who engaged in agriculture work attended school. Prior to the colonial era , education in India typically occurred under the supervision of a guru in traditional schools called gurukulas . The gurukulas were supported by public donations and were one of the earliest forms of public school offices. According to
9280-517: The members of JPC Yashwant Sinha for his alleged involvement in the 2G case. Singh's premiership officially ended at noon on 17 May 2014. He did not contest the 2014 general election for the 16th Lok Sabha as the prime ministerial candidate. He resigned his post as prime minister after the Bharatiya Janata Party -led National Democratic Alliance won the election. He served as the acting prime minister till 26 May 2014, when Narendra Modi
9396-490: The number of English-language primary schools grew from 82,916 to 134,866 and the number of students attending those institutions grew from 2,061,541 to 10,525,943. Literacy rates among the Indian public, as recorded rose from an estimated 3.2 per cent in 1872, to 16.1 per cent in 1941. In 1944, the British colonial administration presented a plan, called the Sargent Scheme for the educational reconstruction of India, with
9512-654: The people of Andhra Pradesh to end the scourge of child labor and send all of their children to school." As head of an extension programme at the University of Hyderabad in 1987, she organized a three-month-long camp to prepare children rescued from bonded labor to attend school. Later, in 1991, she guided her family's Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiya Foundation to take up this idea as part of its overriding mission in Andhra Pradesh. Her original transition camps grew into full-fledged residential "bridge schools." The foundation's aim
9628-470: The permit raj, reduced state control of the economy, and reduced import taxes Rao and Singh thus implemented policies to open up the economy and change India's socialist economy to a more capitalistic one, in the process dismantling the License Raj, a system that inhibited the prosperity of private businesses. They removed many obstacles standing in the way of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and initiated
9744-507: The political party with the single largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha . It formed United Progressive Alliance (UPA) with allies and staked claim to form government. In a surprise move, Chairperson Sonia Gandhi declared Manmohan Singh, a technocrat , as the UPA candidate for the prime ministership. Despite the fact that Singh had never won a direct popular election, according to the BBC , he "enjoyed massive popular support, not least because he
9860-451: The population benefits one school within a distance of 2 km. An upper primary school within a distance of 3 km is available for more than 96% of the people, whose 98% benefit the facility for secondary education within 8 km. The access for rural students to higher educational institutions in cities is facilitated by widely subsidized transport fares. Kerala's educational system has been developed by institutions owned or aided by
9976-414: The post of Finance Minister after a parliamentary investigation report criticised his ministry for not being able to anticipate a US$ 1.8 billion 1992 securities scandal . Prime Minister Rao refused Singh's resignation, instead promising to punish the individuals directly accused in the report. Singh was first elected to the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha , in 1991 by the legislature of
10092-508: The prime ministership to Singh. His first ministry executed several key legislations and projects, including the National Rural Health Mission , Unique Identification Authority , Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and Right to Information Act . In 2008, opposition to a historic civil nuclear agreement with the United States nearly caused Singh's government to fall after Left Front parties withdrew their support. India's economy grew rapidly under his reign. The 2009 general election saw
10208-476: The process of the privatisation of public sector companies. However, in spite of these reforms, Rao's government was voted out in 1996 due to non-performance of government in other areas. In praise of Singh's work that pushed India towards a market economy, long-time Cabinet minister P. Chidambaram has compared Singh's role in India's reforms to Deng Xiaoping 's in China . In 1993, Singh offered his resignation from
10324-507: The region but after some period of success, insurgent infiltration and terrorism in Kashmir has increased since 2009. The Singh administration was, however, successful in reducing terrorism in Northeast India. The important National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and the Right to Information Act were passed by the Parliament in 2005 during his tenure. While the effectiveness of
10440-409: The revised NSFE(2020–2025) The National Literacy Mission , launched in 1988, aimed at attaining a literacy rate of 75 percent by 2007. Its charter is to impart functional literacy to non-literates in the age group of 35–75 years. The Total Literacy Campaign is their principal strategy for the eradication of illiteracy. The Continuing Education Scheme provides a learning continuum to the efforts of
10556-419: The scheme for all children up to class 10. Tamil Nadu's midday meal programme is among the best-known in the country. Starting in 1982, Tamil Nadu took an approach to promote literacy based on free lunches for schoolchildren, "ignoring cynics who said it was an electoral gimmick and economists who said it made little fiscal sense." The then chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MGR launched the program, which resembled
10672-471: The six states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh . Several states in India have executed successful programs to boost literacy rates. Over time, a set of factors have emerged as being key to success: the official will to succeed, deliberate steps to engage the community in administering the program, adequate funding for infrastructure and teachers, and provisioning additional services which are considered valuable by
10788-476: The skills of reading, writing and arithmetic and the ability to apply them to one's day-to-day life. The achievement of functional literacy implies (i) self-reliance in 3 Rs, (ii) awareness of the causes of deprivation and the ability to move towards amelioration of their condition by participating in the process of development, (iii) acquiring skills to improve economic status and general well-being, and (iv) imbibing values such as national integration, conservation of
10904-480: The state literate but as long-term education programs to ensure all citizens have a certain basic minimum level of education. Tripura has 45 blocks and 23 subdivisions that are served by 68 government-run schools and 30–40 private schools. Among projects implemented by the state government to increase literacy in the state are: The holistic education system, implemented with equal interest in Agartala , remote areas and
11020-603: The state of Assam, and was re-elected in 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2013. From 1998 to 2004, while the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power, Singh was the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. In 1999, he contested for the Lok Sabha from South Delhi but was unable to win the seat. After the 2004 general elections , the Indian National Congress ended the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) tenure by becoming
11136-418: The subsequent discussions that followed, Manmohan Singh had read a letter from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, that stated that the foundation appreciates the generous sum but it thinks that the government should itself invest the funds in suitable projects. The UPA government led by Congress has also been accused of diverting funds from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the foundation while members of
11252-429: The swearing in. So that's how I started in politics". In 1991, India's fiscal deficit was close to 8.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, the balance of payments deficit was huge and the current account deficit was close to 3.5 per cent of India's GDP. India's foreign reserves barely amounted to US$ 1 billion, enough to pay for 2 weeks of imports, in comparison to US$ 600 billion in 2009. Evidently, India
11368-560: The table below. The provision of universal and compulsory education for all children in the age group of 6–14 was a cherished national ideal and had been given overriding priority by incorporation as a Directive Policy in Article 45 of the Constitution , but it is still to be achieved more than half a century since the Constitution was adopted in 1949. Parliament has passed the Constitution 86th Amendment Act, 2002, to make elementary education
11484-463: The third highest literacy rate in India. According to the 2011 census, literacy level was 93.91 percent in Kerala and 91.58 percent in Mizoram, among the most literate states in the country. The national literacy rate, according to the 2011 census, was 74.04 percent. The Tripura success story is attributed to the involvement of local government bodies, including gram panchayats , NGOs and local clubs under
11600-492: The time, P. V. Narasimha Rao , chose Singh to be his finance minister. Singh told Mark Tully a British journalist in 2005: "On the day (Rao) was formulating his cabinet, he sent his Principal Secretary to me saying, 'The PM would like you to become the Minister of Finance'. I didn't take it seriously. He eventually tracked me down the next morning, rather angry, and demanded that I get dressed up and come to Rashtrapati Bhavan for
11716-563: The tribal autonomic areas makes sure that people in Tripura do not just become literate but educated, officials emphasized. One pointer to the government's interest in education is the near-total absence of child labor in Tripura. Kerala topped the Education Development Index (EDI) among 21 major states in India in the year 2006–2007. More than 94% of the rural population has access to a primary school within 1 km, while 98% of
11832-720: The two states are correlated with these rates, such as life expectancy at birth (71.61 for males and 75 for females in Kerala, 65.66 for males and 64.79 for females in Bihar), infant mortality per 1,000 live births (10 in Kerala, 61 in Bihar), birth rate per 1,000 people (16.9 in Kerala, 30.9 in Bihar) and death rate per 1,000 people (6.4 in Kerala, 7.9 in Bihar). Six Indian states account for about 60% of all illiterates in India: Uttar Pradesh , Bihar , Madhya Pradesh , Rajasthan , and Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana ). Slightly less than half of all Indian illiterates (48.12%) are in
11948-535: Was 87.7%, higher than rural areas with 73.5%. There is a wide gender disparity in the literacy rate in India and effective literacy rates (age 7 and above) was 84.7% for men and 70.3% for women. The low female literacy rate has a dramatically negative impact on family planning and population stabilisation efforts in India. Studies have indicated that female literacy is a strong predictor of the use of contraception among married Indian couples, even when women do not otherwise have economic independence. The census provided
12064-409: Was a member of St John's College . In a 2005 interview with the British journalist Mark Tully , Singh said about his Cambridge days: I first became conscious of the creative role of politics in shaping human affairs, and I owe that mostly to my teachers Joan Robinson and Nicholas Kaldor . Joan Robinson was a brilliant teacher, but she also sought to awaken the inner conscience of her students in
12180-540: Was a “bribe” for lobbying for a free trade agreement between India and China which, according to Ravi Shankar Prasad , lead to a 33% increase in trade deficit between India and China under the congress government. In 2020, Ministry of Home Affairs set up an inter-ministerial committee headed by the special director of the Enforcement Department to coordinate investigation into violation of various legal provisions of PMLA, Income Tax Act, FCRA and other provisions by
12296-487: Was established after the "Brasilia Declaration" in 2003 and the IBSA Dialogue Forum was formed. Singh's government has also been especially keen on expanding ties with Israel . Since 2003, the two countries have made significant investments in each other and Israel now rivals Russia to become India's largest defence partner. Though there have been a few diplomatic glitches between India and Russia, especially over
12412-416: Was facing an economic crisis. At this point, the government of India sought funds from the supranational International Monetary Fund , which, while assisting India financially, imposed several conditions regarding India's economic policy. In effect, IMF-dictated policy meant that the ubiquitous Licence Raj had to be dismantled, and India's attempt at a state-controlled economy had to end. Singh explained to
12528-580: Was going on in China, but Kaldor used the Keynesian analysis to demonstrate that capitalism could be made to work. After Cambridge, Singh returned to India and served as a teacher at Panjab University . In 1960, he went to the University of Oxford for his DPhil , where he was a member of Nuffield College . His 1962 doctoral thesis under the supervision of I.M.D. Little was titled "India's export performance, 1951–1960, export prospects and policy implications", and
12644-460: Was higher than the number of primary schools at the time of independence. The literacy rate grew from 18.33 percent in 1951, to 74.04 percent in 2011. During the same period, the population grew from 361 million to 1,210 million. Every census since 1880 had indicated rising literacy in the country, but the population growth rate had been high enough that the absolute number of illiterate people rose with every decade. The 2001–2011 decade
12760-608: Was implemented in backward villages in Jaipur, Pali and Karoli districts of Rajasthan which faced serious environmental degradation. A third party evaluation revealed the significant impact in the lives of the targeted families. In order to scale up this transformative work, RGF set up Gram Gaurav on 19 December 2011. Gram Gaurav currently works in 74 villages located in Dang region of Karauli and Dholpur districts to augment water resources, conserve soil and enhance agriculture production. Since 1993,
12876-402: Was later the basis for his book "India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth". After completing his D.Phil., Singh returned to India. He was a senior lecturer of economics at Panjab University from 1957 to 1959. During 1959 and 1963, he served as a reader in economics at Panjab University, and from 1963 to 1965, he was an economics professor there. Then he went to work for
12992-625: Was secretary general of the South Commission , an independent economic policy think tank headquartered in Geneva , Switzerland from 1987 to November 1990. Singh returned to India from Geneva in November 1990 and held the post as the advisor to Prime Minister of India on economic affairs during the tenure of Chandra Shekar . In March 1991, he became chairman of the University Grants Commission . In June 1991, India's prime minister at
13108-556: Was seen by many as a clean politician untouched by the taint of corruption that has run through many Indian administrations." He took the oath as the Prime Minister of India on 22 May 2004. In 1991, Singh, as Finance Minister, abolished the Licence Raj , source of slow economic growth and corruption in the Indian economy for decades. He liberalised the Indian economy, allowing it to speed up development dramatically. During his term as prime minister, Singh continued to encourage growth in
13224-722: Was set up to carry forward the legacy of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi . The Jawahar Bhawan Trust, led by Sonia Gandhi met in July, 1991 and passed a resolution inviting the foundation to work in the Jawahar Bhawan. The foundation constituted a group of 8 founding Trustees. They were Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma , Sonia Gandhi , Rahul Gandhi , Priyanka Gandhi , Amitabh Bachchan , Suman Dubey, N.K. Seshan and Sunil Nehru. In 1992, P. V. Narasimha Rao , P. Chidambaram , V. Krishnamurthy , Sam Pitroda , Dr. Sekhar Raha, Mani Shankar Aiyar , Montek Singh Ahluwalia and R. P. Goenka were also inducted as Trustees. In August 1991,
13340-521: Was sworn in as the new prime minister. Singh, along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi , former Presidents A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil , and Vice-President Hamid Ansari attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony . Later, Singh shifted to 3 Motilal Nehru Road, New Delhi. In 2016, it was announced that Singh was to take up a position at Panjab University as the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair, which he eventually did not. Singh retired from
13456-868: Was very close to her. His early schooling was in the Urdu medium, and even as prime minister years later, he wrote his apparently Hindi speeches in the Urdu script , although sometimes he would also use Gurmukhi , a script used to write Punjabi , his mother tongue. After the Partition of India , his family migrated to Haldwani , India. In 1948 they relocated to Amritsar , where he studied at Hindu College, Amritsar. He attended Panjab University , then in Hoshiarpur , Punjab, studying Economics and got his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1952 and 1954, respectively, standing first throughout his academic career. He completed his Economics Tripos at University of Cambridge in 1957. He
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