Khammam: The Akshar Deepam, Akshar Sankranthi, Akshar Bharathi and Saakshar Bharat, programmes being implemented for the last 28 years had not made any impression on literacy levels in erstwhile Khammam district.
The literacy rate in the district is not on par with India's literacy rate of 74.04 per cent. The literacy rate in Khammam district is 65.6 per cent. India's literacy level has increased by 9.21 per cent over the past years but not in the erstwhile district of Khammam.
As per the details, Akshar Deepam was implemented in Khammam district from 1991 to 2000. The mission identified 5.79 lakh as illiterate and 3.49 lakh as literate during the time. The literacy rate in the district is 60.2 per cent.
The literacy mission did not go well from 2001 to 2011 and literacy programmes were organised under Akshar Sankranthi and Akshar Bharati, each four phases.
The district literacy rate is found at 60.16 per cent. It means that the literacy missions did not fare well during the period. It maintained the literacy rate achieved during 1991-2000.
Saakshar Bharat was commenced in 2012 and is being organised for the last seven years. At the beginning, the Mission found 7.11 lakh illiterate and marked 3.95 lakh as literate. With this, the literacy rate is registered in 2018 as 65.95 per cent in Khammam.
The literacy rate went up from 60.21 per cent in 2001 to 60.16 in 2011 showing a decrease of 0.5 per cent. It was 65.95 percent in 2018.
In India, the literacy rate went up from 64.83 per cent in 2001 to 74.04 percent in 2011 showing an increase of 9.21 percent. It means that the district lagged behind in achieving literacy on par with the national rate.
As far as women's literacy is concerned, there is massive gap between the two genders. In 2018, the male literacy was 73.31 per cent and female 58.30 percent. The government sought to increase women's literacy in the district. Tirumalayapalem mandal was selected as a pilot project and the literacy mission commenced with the cooperation of Tata Consultancy Services.
The state government took another initiative to increase literacy rates by entrusting the job to the students studying from the sixth to the tenth classes. These students should make their parents literate at home.
