ULLAS to boost literacy among SHG women

Tirupati: In a determined push to tackle the country’s long-standing literacy challenge, the Central government has introduced the ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) initiative.

Targeting individuals aged 15 and above who missed out on formal education, this programme aims to make millions literate and equip them with basic skills crucial in this digital era where the reliance on technology, banking and cashless transactions are on rise.

The initiative focuses on foundational literacy and numeracy, while also integrating digital and financial literacy components to meet the needs of a rapidly modernising society. ULLAS operates through a hy-brid learning model, combining online and offline teaching methods.

Volunteers play a critical role in the programme’s implementation, with each volunteer assigned to 10 learners, ensuring strong community engagement. Both learners and volunteers will be registered through the ULLAS mobile app to streamline the process. Although launched at the national level in 2023, the NDA-led state government has accelerated efforts for effective implementation.

The District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA), in collaboration with the department of adult educa-tion, has been tasked with overseeing the programme’s implementation. The state government has ap-pointed district and mandal level committees for the implementation of the programme.

At the district level, collectors will be the chairpersons of ULLAS committees. However, the state gov-ernment took a stand to cover SHG women under this programme first keeping in view the poor literacy rate among women.

In Tirupati district, notable progress has already been made. DRDA project director T N Sobhan Babu told The Hans India that 12,085 women have been identified and enrolled under ULLAS, supported by 1,280 volunteers known as volunteer teachers. These volunteers have undergone necessary training, and classes are set to begin soon.

“Classes will be held from 5 pm to 7 pm at Anganwadi centres and continue for a total of 200 hours,” Sobhan Babu explained. “While some teaching materials are provided in textbooks, additional resources are available on mobile phones for flexible learning.”

He added that the programme’s curriculum covers two key areas: functional and financial literacy. Func-tional literacy includes reading, writing and basic arithmetic, while financial literacy provides training on essential topics such as UPI payments, cybercrime awareness, bookkeeping and sound accounting prac-tices.

These skills will empower learners to manage their personal finances and protect themselves from fraud. They will also be able to check the loopholes if any in their self-help groups and other activities.

It may be mentioned that India faces a significant literacy gap, with 25.76 crore non-literate individu-als—16.68 crore of whom are women. While the earlier ‘Saakshar Bharat’ programme enabled 7.64 crore people to become literate, 18.12 crore individuals remain illiterate. ULLAS aims to bridge this gap by creating educational opportunities.