Pratibha to give away literacy awards tomorrow

New Delhi, Sep 7 (UNI) President Pratibha Patil will honour people and organisations who contributed in spreading literacy on the occasion of the International Literacy Day, tomorrow.

To mark the occasion, the National Literacy Mission will present several of its special publications to the President.

The main event will be orgnaised at the Vigyan Bhavan at which the President will be the chief guest while Minister of Human Resource Development Arjun Singh will preside over the function.

A ten and half minute documentary film on literacy ''The Marquee Effect'' will also be screened on this occasion.

It will be followed by the presentation of NLM - UNESCO Award, Satyen Maitra Literacy Award and National Photo Competition Award.

The function will be attended by volunteers and learners of adult education programme, school children, senior officials, diplomats and representatives of international organisations and NGOs in large number.

NLM UNESCO Award was instituted by NLM in collaboration with UNESCO. The award is given to the institutions which have done commendable work in the field of literacy and adult education.

It includes a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a citation.

This year, the recipients of this award are Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Chandigarh, Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Nasik, Maharashtra and State Resource Centre, Deepayatan, Patna, Bihar.

The Satyen Maitra Literacy Award was instituted in 1996 in the memory of Satyen Maitra, eminent educationist, and a social reformer who had a long association with Bengal Social Service League, a Kolkata based NGO with enviable reputation.

The award is given to selected districts implementing Total Literacy Campaign, Post Literacy Programme and Continuing Education Programme.

It aims at encouraging the campaign districts to perform and come out with excellent results and to instill a healthy competition among them.

The awardees of this year are Dantewada of Chhattisgarh (For Total Literacy Campaign), Lohardaga of Jharkhand (For Post Literacy Programme), Uttara Kannada of Karnataka (For Continuing Education Programme), Kasargod of Kerala (For Continuing Education Programme) Chittorgarh of Rajasthan (Continuing Education Programme).

The winners of All India National Photo Competition will also be given prizes on the occasion. The prize and the winners are -- first prize (Rs 25000), O P Soni, second prize (Rs 20000) Girish J Kingar, third prize (Rs 15000) Shri Gopal Thapliyal, consolation prize (Rs 10000) Shri Kailash Mittal and Shri Manish Chauhan.

Groups of performing artists from the states of Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana will present a mosaic of colourful cultural programme choreographed by renowned director Bansi Kaul.

In the developing world, illiteracy is a colossal problem indeed. It first got attention in September 1965 during the World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy at Teheran. Henceforth each year from 1966, September 8 is being celebrated as International Literacy Day.

UNI