Mandla become First ‘functionally literate’ district in India

Highlights:

• Tribal-dominated Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh has become the first completely “functionally literate” district of India. 
• During 2011 survey, literacy rate in Mandla district was 68%. 
• Another report of 2020 highlights that, more than 2.25 lakh people in this district were not literate, most of them were tribals from forest areas.
• Tribals were frequently complaining to authorities regarding money frauds they were facing. 
• Main reason for this was that tribals were not functionally literate.
• To make people functionally literate, a major campaign was launched on Independence Day 2020, in association with the school education department, anganwadi & social workers, women and child development department, to educate women and senior citizens.
• With this campaign, entire district has turned into functionally literate district, within two years.
• Mandla is the first district of India to reach this mark, where people were able to write their names, read and count.