. The payment of the application fee can be made until January 3, 2025. Additionally, applicants will have the opportunity to make corrections to their application forms from January 4 to January 5, 2025.](https://highereducationplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Beige-Black-Modern-Professional-Fashion-Photographers-Facebook-Cover-1-360x180.jpg)
Union Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, informed the Lok Sabha that rural India’s literacy rate has increased by over 10 percentage points in the past decade. The literacy rate for individuals aged seven and above rose from 67.77% in 2011 to 77.50% in 2023-24. Female literacy improved from 57.93% to 70.4%, while male literacy rose from 77.15% to 84.7%.
To boost literacy, including in rural areas, the government has launched several initiatives, such as Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (2018-26), Saakshar Bharat (2009-18), Padhna Likhna Abhiyan (2020-22), and the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (2022-27). The ULLAS scheme, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, focuses on adult education, particularly for those who missed schooling, with an emphasis on rural, backward areas, and women.
The program uses a hybrid model, offering online, offline, or combined methods. A dedicated ULLAS Mobile App allows learners and volunteer teachers to register, access learning materials in 26 languages, and track progress. Over two crore learners have already participated in the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT).
