04 Sep 2013

It is a forum of intelligentsia to share the experiences on literacy/educational issues at the state level by the international experts/eminent academicians. When ADRI was entrusted with the task of setting up the State Resource Centre (SRC) for adult education in Bihar by the National Literacy Mission (NLM), it was felt that the working of the SRC should combine both traditional and innovative programmes. It was also felt that if Bihar was to transcend into a ‘knowledge society' in the 21st century, the banishment of illiteracy should be the key strategy. This required a proactive role not only on the part of the government, but also of the people in general and civil society organisations in particular. While the NLM was playing the role of a proactive government agency, ADRI tried to enthuse the other two segments - the people and the civil society.

The traditional agenda of all the SRCs has three dimensions - material preparation, training, and monitoring. However, right from the beginning, the SRC, ADRI has understood the need of making innovative interventions. For example, it was realised that the prime reason behind a poor literacy rate in Bihar was the indifference of its small intelligentsia to the adult literacy campaign. One of the activities of SRC, ADRI was, therefore, to sensitise the local intelligentsia on literacy concerns. With this goal, SRC, ADRI established Akshar Bihar, the forum which has been organising several meetings in different districts of Bihar and a regular annual gathering in the state capital for about two decades now. After the bifurcation of the state, the forum opened its second office in Ranchi for Akshar Jharkhand. These forums are being run in association with a leading Hindi Daily (earlier Hindustan, now Prabhat Khabar) which ensures a wider dissemination of information on forums' activities. All these efforts have indeed elevated the status of the campaign in the minds of the local intelligentsia. 

In Jharkhand, bifurcation of the state created environment of instability in the field of education. Thus, it was felt that media could be involved in the promotion of literacy campaign and awareness building activities. Media was observed as an active means to provide a face lift to the adult education programme in the state. As a step further, acknowledgement and recognition of the people voluntarily involved in the literacy programme was thought as an innovative idea to celebrate the expansion of the horizon of knowledge among the adult non-literates in Jharkhand. 

Akshar Jharkhand was started in the state capital Ranchi in 2001 with the aim to acknowledge the efforts of thousands of volunteers committed to the cause of adult education and spread of literacy in the state. The awards under four categories - Akshar Shri, Akshar Ratna, Akshar Bhushan, and Akshar Vibhushan - are presented to the volunteers for their outstanding contributions in the literacy programme.

AKSHAR JHARKHAND FUNCTION.

Akshar Jharkhand Function	Date / Place	Chief Guest	Felicitation
1st Akshar Jharkhand Function.	28 March 2001, Ranchi	Sh. Babulal Marandi, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Jharkhand	14 Voluntary Teachers
2nd Akshar Jharkhand Function.	19 March 2002, Ranchi	Sh. Babulal Marandi, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Jharkhand	20 Voluntary Teachers; 6 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
3rd Akshar Jharkhand Function.	07 August 2004, Ranchi	Sh. P.N. Singh, Hon'ble Minister, Dept of HRD, GoJ	20 Voluntary Teachers; 4 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
4th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	23 February 2006, Ranchi	Sh. Arjun Munda, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Jharkhand	18 Voluntary Teachers; 7 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
5th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	30 March 2007, Ranchi	His Excellency, Shri Syed Sibtey Razi, Governor of Jharkhand	20 Voluntary Teachers; 4 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
6th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	07 April 2008, Ranchi	Sh. Bandhu Tirkey, Hon'ble Minister, Dept of HRD, GoJ	21 Voluntary Teachers; 5 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
7th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	17 March 2009, Ranchi	Shri Bhaskar Chatterjee, IAS, Principal Adviser, Planning Commission, Government of India	28 Voluntary Teachers; 6 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
8th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	04 April 2013, Ranchi	Prof. (Dr) L. N. Bhagat, Vice Chancellor, Ranchi University, Ranchi	7 Voluntary Teachers; 6 Zila Saaksharta Samiti; 9 Lok Shiksha Kendras; 17 Prerak

REGIONAL LEVEL AKSHAR JHARKHAND PROGRAMME.

Akshar Jharkhand Function	Date / Place	Chief Guest	Felicitation
Akshar Jharkhand Programme.	26 September, 2005, Deoghar	Prof. Muchkund Dubey, Former Foreign Secretary, GOI & Chairman ADRI Society	10 Self Help Groups

AKSHAR JHARKHAND FOUNDATION LECTURES: JOURNEY SO FAR.

It is a forum of intelligentsia to share the experiences on literacy/educational issues at the state level by the international experts/eminent academicians. When ADRI was entrusted with the task of setting up the State Resource Centre (SRC) for adult education in Bihar by the National Literacy Mission (NLM), it was felt that the working of the SRC should combine both traditional and innovative programmes. It was also felt that if Bihar was to transcend into a ‘knowledge society' in the 21st century, the banishment of illiteracy should be the key strategy. This required a proactive role not only on the part of the government, but also of the people in general and civil society organisations in particular. While the NLM was playing the role of a proactive government agency, ADRI tried to enthuse the other two segments - the people and the civil society.

The traditional agenda of all the SRCs has three dimensions - material preparation, training, and monitoring. However, right from the beginning, the SRC, ADRI has understood the need of making innovative interventions. For example, it was realised that the prime reason behind a poor literacy rate in Bihar was the indifference of its small intelligentsia to the adult literacy campaign. One of the activities of SRC, ADRI was, therefore, to sensitise the local intelligentsia on literacy concerns. With this goal, SRC, ADRI established the forum which has been organising several meetings in different districts of Bihar and a regular annual gathering in the state capital for about two decades now. After the bifurcation of the state, the forum opened its second office in Ranchi forAkshar Jharkhand These forums are being run in association with a leading Hindi Daily (earlierHindustan, now Prabhat Khabar) which ensures a wider dissemination of information on forums' activities. All these efforts have indeed elevated the status of the campaign in the minds of the local intelligentsia. 

In Jharkhand, bifurcation of the state created environment of instability in the field of education. Thus, it was felt that media could be involved in the promotion of literacy campaign and awareness building activities. Media was observed as an active means to provide a face lift to the adult education programme in the state. As a step further, acknowledgement and recognition of the people voluntarily involved in the literacy programme was thought as an innovative idea to celebrate the expansion of the horizon of knowledge among the adult non-literates in Jharkhand. 

Akshar Jharkhandwas started in the state capital Ranchi in 2001 with the aim to acknowledge the efforts of thousands of volunteers committed to the cause of adult education and spread of literacy in the state. The awards under four categories - Akshar Shri, Akshar Ratna, Akshar Bhushan, and Akshar Vibhushan - are presented to the volunteers for their outstanding contributions in the literacy programme.

AKSHAR JHARKHAND FUNCTION

Akshar Jharkhand Function	Date / Place	Chief Guest	Felicitation
1st Akshar Jharkhand Function.	28 March 2001, Ranchi	Sh. Babulal Marandi, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Jharkhand	14 Voluntary Teachers
2nd Akshar Jharkhand Function.	19 March 2002, Ranchi	Sh. Babulal Marandi, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Jharkhand	20 Voluntary Teachers; 6 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
3rd Akshar Jharkhand Function.	07 August 2004, Ranchi	Sh. P.N. Singh, Hon'ble Minister, Dept of HRD, GoJ	20 Voluntary Teachers; 4 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
4th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	23 February 2006, Ranchi	Sh. Arjun Munda, Hon'ble Chief Minister, Jharkhand	18 Voluntary Teachers; 7 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
5th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	30 March 2007, Ranchi	His Excellency, Shri Syed Sibtey Razi, Governor of Jharkhand	20 Voluntary Teachers; 4 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
6th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	07 April 2008, Ranchi	Sh. Bandhu Tirkey, Hon'ble Minister, Dept of HRD, GoJ	21 Voluntary Teachers; 5 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
7th  Akshar Jharkhand Function.	17 March 2009, Ranchi	Shri Bhaskar Chatterjee, IAS, Principal Adviser, Planning Commission, Government of India	28 Voluntary Teachers; 6 Zila Saaksharta Samiti
8th  Akshar Jharkhand Function	04 April 2013, Ranchi	Prof. (Dr) L. N. Bhagat, Vice Chancellor, Ranchi University, Ranchi	7 Voluntary Teachers; 6 Zila Saaksharta Samiti; 9 Lok Shiksha Kendras; 17 Prerak

REGIONAL LEVEL AKSHAR JHARKHAND PROGRAMME.

Akshar Jharkhand Function	Date / Place	Chief Guest	Felicitation
Akshar Jharkhand Programme.	26 September, 2005, Deoghar	Prof. Muchkund Dubey, Former Foreign Secretary, GOI & Chairman ADRI Society	10 Self Help Groups

AKSHAR JHARKHAND FOUNDATION LECTURES: JOURNEY SO FAR.

Akshar Jharkhand Foundation Lecture	Date / Place	Topic of the Lecture	Chief Speaker
1st Akshar Jharkhand Foundation Lecture	February 23, 2006	Geography of Inequality and Empowerment within USA:Democratization Process of Regional Public Space in Appalachia	Ms. Betsy Taylor, Visiting Scholar, Department of Anthropology, John Hopkins University, USA
2nd Akshar Jharkhand Foundation Lecture	March 30, 2007	Literacy for Women Empowerment	Ms. Vandana K. Jena, IAS, Joint Secreatry & DG National Literacy Mission, MHRD, Govt. of India
3rd Akshar Jharkhand Foundation Lecture	April 07, 2008	Literacy with Conscientization and not literacy per se is the need of the hour	Dr. Lakshimidhar Mishra, IAS (Retd.) Special Rapporteur, National Human Rights Commission, Government of India
4th Akshar Jharkhand Foundation Lecture	March 17, 2009	The Concept of Continuing Education and its Relevance for India	Shri Bhaskar Chatterjee, IAS, Principal Adviser, Planning Commission, Government of India
5th Akshar Jharkhand Foundation Lecture	March 30, 2010	Saaksharata, Shiksha Aur Sahitya Par Vichar Karte Hue	Shri Vishwaranjan, IPS, Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh