The word ‘literacy’ means an ability to read and write. In a civilized country, every citizen should learn how to read and write. If not, he is called an illiterate person. An illiterate person has to face many practical difficulties in life.

As he is unable to read or write, he cannot read a letter addressed to him by his near and dear ones. He cannot calculate his own income and expenses, nor can keep his own accounts. Morally and psychologically, he feels insecure and weak, and hence suffers from an inferiority complex.

Therefore, every person in the society should try to become literate. If it was not possible in an early age, a grown-up man can yet learn how to read and write in his advanced stage of life. Literacy will help him also in gaining common knowledge in various subjects, which will make him a “complete man.

An illiterate man is generally exploited by the clever men in the society. They take full advantage of his ignorance of the language or wisdom. The illiterate men become like dancing dolls at the hands of the clever persons. They suffer in many ways in life.

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Now-a-days, the Indian governments have taken a litera­cy drive all over the country. They are sending teachers into the remote corners of the villages of India in order to educate the people, irrespective of their age or profession.

The programme of education has taken a bold step, and the results are encouraging. The students and the educated youth should come forward to join the literacy movement since launched by the government of India.

Classes can be held in a primary school or in any other suitable place that is available in the area chosen for literacy movement. Teaching can be arranged in the morning or in the evening.

The students may be peasants, mill workers, or traders, the poor or the rich. Education must be free and vol­untary. The students are to be supplied with the books, and taught first how to read them, and then, how to write the scripts, imitating the printed letters in the books.

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It has been seen that the people of India have remark­ably responded to this drive, and shown great interest in adult education, apart from the education of the young ones.

The percentage of literate persons in India has considerably increased in comparison with the figures of the earlier years. It is found that in the villages, the young and the old men and women assemble and sit together to take lessons from the teachers who have been specially trained and appointed for the purpose of teaching the illiterate mass.

The students should also come forward voluntarily to actively participate in this noble literacy drive and make their country free from the curse of illiteracy.