I think Vikram, you're far behind - the definition of literacy has moved far
beyond.
Literacy, as defined in Census operations, is the ability to
read and write with understanding in any language.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
has drafted a definition of literacy as the "ability to
identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use
printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy
involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve
their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to
participate fully in their community and wider society."[57]
The National Literacy Mission defines literacy as acquiring 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 R's,
(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 environment, women's equality, observance
of small family norms.
The working definition of literacy in the Indian census since 1991 is as
follows:[58]
* Literacy rate: The total percentage of the population of an
area at a particular time aged seven years or above who can read and
write with understanding. Here the denominator is the population aged
seven years or more.
The issue is not so much with definitions as with achieving literacy according
to this definition - even in IT literacy the idea is quite comprehensive but
the efforts don't match. what can we as civil society do to increase this
effort?
Anjali
Mobile - 09425018266
________________________________
From: Vickram Crishna <[email protected]>
To: Indian FOSS Community Network list <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: [fosscomm] India drafts agenda to spread IT literacy
I'm a little curious. Since the agenda has been determined, does that include
the goal?– because the goal of literacy is defined as the ability to read and
write one's own name.
Given the understanding of 'learning computers' encountered in almost every
school and institution I encounter, this might translate into 'the ability to
read and write one's own name in Word'.
The government also commissioned a task force on transformation of employable
skills, whose agenda reads somewhat like a mission to reach Alpha Centauri by
2020, only without spending any real money.
But I digress.
Can we all understand, and those of us who find this sort of thing to be worth
spending time on, agree, on what the minimal base goals should be?
I suggest we try and create a special interest group, amongst us, and inviting
others who may not know about this list, that will focus on partnering
with/actively supporting the team that has developed this agenda. The SIG can
and should report to this list from time to time with notes on progress or
specific requests for assistance.
--
Vickram
Fool On The Hill
"The cameras were all around. We've got you taped; you're in the play.
Here's your I.D. (Ideal for identifying one and all.)
Invest your life in the memory bank; ours the interest and we thank you."
Jethro Tull: A Passion Play (1973)
On Jan 23, 2013 5:58 PM, "Guru गुरु" <[email protected]> wrote:
India drafts agenda to spread IT literacy
>Elets News Network (ENN) | January 23, 2013
>
>New Delhi: The Government of India plans to make one person Information
>Technology (IT) literate in every household by 2020. Giving details of the
>agenda of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) for
>2013, IT and Communications Minister Kapil Sibal said that one IT literate
>person in 10 lakh households, is the target for the current year.
>
>for more visit
>http://egov.eletsonline.com/2013/01/india-drafts-agenda-to-spread-it-literacy/
>--------
>what can/should we do to ensure this will be on free sofware platforms/tools
>.... how do we contact DIT on this....
>
>regards,
>Guru
>_______________________________________________
>network mailing list
>[email protected]
>http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in
>
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