New Delhi, Feb 5: Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate the two-day ULLAS Mela at the National Bal Bhavan in New Delhi tomorrow, officials said on Monday.

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 ULLAS 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.

The scheme consists of five components: (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy; (ii) Critical Life Skills; (iii) Basic Education; (iv) Vocational Skills; and (v) Continuing Education. 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.

There have been substantial activities carried out under ULLAS in most of the States/UTs. Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education is organising 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. 

The event will comprise 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.

Around 700 participants from various States/UTs along with more than 100 dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, States/UTs and various organizations will be participating in the event, officials added.   

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