The State Resource Centre (SRC) for Adult and Continuing Education was established in 2004 in Ranchi, the state capital of Jharkhand. It was established under the aegis of the National Literacy Mission, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India under the scheme to support the non-government organization’s working in the field of adult education. The State Resource Centre, ADRI, Ranchi is registered under the Society’s Registration Act 21, 1860 with the Government of Jharkhand. The SRC is run by ADRI Society, Patna but has its own Governing Body in Ranchi.

The key responsibility of SRC is to provide academic and technical support for the on going adult literacy programme. However the National Literacy Mission mandated following main tasks for the SRC:

• To provide quality reading materials to aid the on-going literacy programmes,
• To provide training to literacy functionaries on both organizational and pedagogic issues
• To organize seminars and workshops, which help in upgrading awareness and skills of literacy functionaries
• To develop literacy materials like Primers for Basic and post literacy and other supplementary reading materials for the neo-literates,
• Creation of environment conductive to the propagation of literacy
• Monitoring and Evaluation of literacy programmes.

In addition to the literacy related activities, SRC also runs a Population Development Education (PDE) Cell to carry out health related activities particularly with focused attention in the rural areas.

The Population & Development Education for the Adult non-literates and neo-literates was started in the year 1987. It is so far implemented in three phases jointly by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and National Literacy Mission (NLM), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India (GOI) through the State / Regional Resource Centres for Adult Education. Since 2001, UNFPA discontinued funding for this programme but the NLM continued the assistance to the Regional / State Resource Centres from its regular funds.

KEY ACTIVITIES OF PDE CELL

• Material Preparation.
• Training of Literacy Functionaries.
• Research & Evaluation Studies.
• Outreach activities like observance of important days, holding health camps etc.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of PDE is to make people, especially adult non-literates and neo-literates, aware about PDE issues like, small family norms, birth spacing, women empowerment, reproductive child health care etc.
The thrust area for the SRCs to impart training and develop reading material for the target group includes:

• Reproductive Health
• Women Empowerment
• Gender Equality
• Family Planning
• Preventive and Curative education for STD / HIV / AIDS
• Responsible Parenthood
• Right age of Marriage
• Adolescents Reproductive Health and Education
• Population Growth and Environment
• Beliefs and Traditions

In Jharkhand State, the activities under Population Development Education (PDE) Cell were initiated by SRC, ADRI Ranchi in the year 2005. Since inception, the PDE Cell in Ranchi has always endeavored to organize activities to create awareness on population development issues by organizing.

• Health Camps
• Training Programmes
• Observing Important Days
• Preparing and Publishing Books and Materials

STATUS OF ADULT LITERACY PROGRAMME IN JHARKHAND, AT A GLANCE (AS ON MARCH 2009)

* Khunti and Ramgarh are newly created district separated from CEP district Ranchi and Hazaribagh respectively. TLC=Total Literacy Campaign
PLP= Post Literacy Programme
CEP=Continuing Education Programme
PRI= Project for Residual Illiteracy

RESTRUCTURED PROGRAMME OF NLM UNDER THE 11TH FIVE YEAR PLAN
SAAKSHAR BHARAT MISSION

The Saakshar Bharat Missio