By A Correspondent
With the mission to eradicate illiteracy from rural India, Bharat Lok Shiksha Parishad, BLSP has been successfully running 16170 Ekal Vidyalayas in villages of several states like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu region.
BLSP provides basic education to underprivileged children in rural parts of India through unique educational initiative, `Ekal Vidyalaya’ -One Teacher one School concept.
BLSP has been adopting villages in remote areas, providing resource management through donor cultivation, regular supervision, and periodical evaluation besides, training to Ekal teachers and volunteers.
Established in 2000, Bharat Lok Shiksha Parishad is a non-profit organsation which has been working for a `common Ekal vision’ under umbrella of Ekal Abhiyan Trust. Ekal is a story of social dreamers who believed that change is possible and education can be the medium to bring the change in the life of last man in the last row in the remotest parts of India. The Ekal Vidyalaya Movement has got support from several prominent social leaders, business tycoons and pioneers of social activism. Some of the names Dr. Subhash Chandra (Zee Group), Sh. Laxmi Goel (Essel Group), Sh. Naresh Jain (Jainco Buildcon), Sh. Subhash Aggarwal ( Action Group) Sh. Nand Kishore Aggarwal (Crystal Group) and Sh. G.D. Goel (G.D. Builders) etc. Besides that many PSUs and Corporates donating through CSR funds.
Crowd funding is one of the area where donations are receiving for running Ekal Vidyalayas. Donations are also being received through masses who are contributing 1-10 schools.
According to 2011 census, the literacy rate has grown to 74.04%; in India but this figure is still below the world average literacy rate of 84%. The RGI census data states that though the gap between the literacy rate in urban and rural areas is steadily declining, the divide still exists.
The literacy rate among the urban population is 84.1%, while the literacy rate of the rural population is only 67.8%. The tribal/rural inhabitants live in remote areas, far from major cities. Those areas are highly deprived of basic amenities, modern facilities and even basic infrastructure, especially on the operational level. These areas are often non-reachable by road and hence neglected by development agencies. In this scenario, Ekal Vidyalaya Movement emerged as the most pragmatic solution to fulfil country’s need.
Ekal Abhiyan is currently running 76,611 Vidyalayas and 2,055,630 children age 6-14 are getting education through Ekal vidyaly in the country. In February 2016, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi appreciated the role of EV stating that the foundation’s mission is a successful mission and added that it is a significant step in Skill India. He has given the target of 1,00,000 vidyalayas by the year 2022.