Speech by Hon'ble President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, on the Occasion of International Literacy Day

We meet here today, on the occasion of the International Literacy Day, to renew our commitment to ensure that no person is denied the basic right of Literacy. This day is also a reminder that the universal literacy target has not been achieved and, therefore, we must pledge that our efforts to achieve this target will be reinforced. The United Nations has estimated that there are 774 million illiterate people in the world. This is, indeed, a very large number - almost equal to the combined population of the US and the European Union. But, this is the scale of the global task that confronts us.

We are beyond the mid-point of the United Nations Literacy Decade, which ends in 2012. Our work in the remaining years of this decade will determine the success of that Millennium Development Goal - whose target is that children everywhere, boys and girls alike, complete a full course of schooling by 2015. There is, thus, an urgency to move forward. The words of Chilean Nobel Laureate, the poetess Gabriela Mistral, are very apt. She wrote, and I quote:

"Many things we need can wait, the child cannot;

Now is the time his bones are formed, his mind developed;

To him we cannot say tomorrow, his name is today," Unquote

Education and literacy are the foundation and essence of all human development. Literacy confers a wide set of benefits on individuals, on families and communities. Social benefits arise on account of better knowledge and awareness that literacy gives. This helps in improving the implementation of social welfare programmes, fighting social evils and in building tolerant societies. Another set of benefits from literacy is economic, as it positively impacts on enhancing skills and earning capacities. A third set of benefits is political. A literate environment is fundamental for empowering citizens, who understand their rights and duties and take informed decisions. But, the most important are human benefits as literacy enhances an individual's self esteem and confidence levels.

Social, economic, political and human benefits will not accrue if literacy is confined to merely signing one's name and learning a few letters of the alphabet. There is need for that literacy, which does not view learners as passive recipients of information that requires them to mechanically decode the alphabet. Literacy learning must provide learners the space and time to come together to reflect upon, and to understand their situations. And, through this process of reflection and articulation, generate organizational energy and catalyze social action.

Our special efforts should be directed towards extending the power of literacy to women who currently constitute two-thirds of the illiterates in the world. In India, we have had success stories of women moving out of poverty as a result of literacy movements. I am informed that as an outcome of a literacy programme, women in Nellore gained a measure of control over their everyday lives, enforced the closure of arrack shops and organised themselves into Self Help Groups. Imparting education to women and girls is important for bringing about a social change and for the full development of societies. Our efforts in this field must continue relentlessly.

India's policies and programmes are directed towards achieving the goal of education for all. All children from the age of 6 to 14 years are to be provided free and compulsory education. For sustained funding, Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh was created to support elementary education efforts by imposing an education cess on all taxes collected. We, like other countries, are motivated by the underlying principle that an educated population is necessary to address issues like reducing child and maternal mortality, fighting social evils and creating a population aware of their rights and duties. Literacy readiness is also necessary to carry forward the national agenda and to contribute productively to a knowledge based society. Today, literacy has come to include literacy in other fields like "computer literacy" necessary for connectivity in the ICT world. At the same time, we have to be aware about the possible misuse of cyber space. There is a rise in cyber crime where the "hackers and attackers" are collecting critical and sensitive information and, thus, acquiring the capacity to cause economic sabotage and indulge in cyber espionage. Terrorists are also misusing this platform for promoting violence and hatred. Immediate action needs to be taken to address cyber crime in a serious manner.

The education system and literacy programmes have to respond to changing requirements of the times. Education is not a static concept but a dynamic process, constantly requiring re-evaluation and upgradation. It should be borne in mind that those who have gained literacy may lose it, so efforts are needed to sustain and enrich it or else the literacy level will slip down.

I call upon the Central Government and State Governments to give high attention to literacy as a vital instrument for achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development. I call upon all civil society organizations, including voluntary agencies and trade unions, to come forward to support the National Literacy Mission. Every effort, big and small, counts. Here, I am reminded of a story of a young man walking down a beach at dawn just after a storm. He noticed an old man ahead of him picking up starfish washed ashore and throwing them back into the sea. The young man said to the old man, the beach is so long and there are thousands of starfish ashore and they will die, how can your effort make any difference? The old man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it into the water saying "it makes a difference to this one". Similarly, every effort to educate even one individual makes a difference. Those willing to reach out and teach, will find that there are many eager to learn. Knowledge, in the Indian tradition, is a very special commodity - the more you give away, the more you have left. Imparting literacy will certainly enlighten the receiver, but will, more importantly, expand the horizons of the giver - the parents, the teachers, the students, the workers - and everybody who participates in spreading literacy.

Education and literacy are closely linked to enriching and preserving our cultural heritage. It is through the power of language and reading that the knowledge of the world can be obtained, and wisdom of the past understood. The written words, books and libraries are the store houses of history and culture of our civilization. Gandhiji said and I quote "you don't have to burn books to destroy a culture, just get people to stop reading them". Literacy and education can promote healthy reading habits. This can, in turn, contribute to preserving our culture and also motivate many to write, thereby contributing to the cultural and literary heritage of tomorrow.

I understand that the special focus of the International Literacy Day this year is on the linkage between literacy and health. The worldwide slogan, "Literacy is the best remedy" emphatically highlights the connection between prevention of diseases and a literate population. The success rates of many of the health programs are much higher, when implemented in a society that is literate. In such a populace, diseases can be prevented, health risks reduced, as people would be more aware of the causes and cures of illness as well as about preventive measures. Enhanced literacy will positively impact the delivery of our manifold development programmes under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Rural Health Mission, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. I believe it will also impact the functioning of the panchayat raj institutions and the self-help groups, including of women across the country. Literacy and education are very important for a nation. We must continue our endeavours with full vigour and commitment.

I conclude with good wishes for all those involved in efforts to spread literacy across the country and wish them success.

Thank you.

Jai Hind.