Innovative projects in respect of all-India level NGOs will be considered by the grants-in-aid committee at the national level.They will be provided assistance for taking up continuing education programmes in addition to innovative programmes in all part of the country. 

Existing State Resources Centers will be strengthened and their annual maintenance grants suitably enhanced.Independent district resource units will now be subsumed in the State Resource Centres.

Revised Parameters of the NGO's and State Resource Centres

ITEMS	EARLIER PARAMETERS	PRESENT PARAMETERS
Name	Scheme of Assistance to VAs	NGOs in the field of education
Classification	Three categories (A, B & C)	Two categories (A&B)
Financial pattern Annual maintenance	Category A-Rs.30 lakh per annum Category B-Rs.25 lakh per annum Category C-Rs.10 lakh per annum	Category A-Rs.60 lakh per annum Category B-Rs.40 lakh per annum
One-time grant	Not existing	Category A-Rs.50 lakh Category B-Rs.40 lakh
Opening of State Resource Centers	As and when required	1999-2000 3 2000-2001 3 2001-2002 4
Sanctioning of VA Projects	Proposal considered by central grant-in-aid committee	Proposals of regional/local NGOs to be considered by respective SLMAs.

 

Partnership with NGOs

The National Literacy Mission fully recognises the vast potential of NGOs in furthering its programmes and schemes. Therefore, ever since its inception, the National Literacy Mission has taken measures to strengthen its partnership with NGOs. The sheer grind and persistence that literacy campaigns involve have greatly diminished much of the enthusiasm that a few NGOs initially exhibited. The National Literacy Mission has made all efforts to evolve both institutional and informal mechanisms to give voluntary organisations an active promotional role in the literacy movement. Under the scheme of support to NGOs, voluntary agencies are encouraged and financial assistance is provided for activities such as: Running post-literacy and continuing education programmes with the objective of total eradication of illiteracy in well-defined areas; Undertaking resource development activities through establishment of State. organising vocational and technical education programmes for neo-literates; Promoting innovation, experimentation and action research; Conducting evaluation and impart studies; Organising symposia and conferences, publication of relevant books and periodicals and production of mass-media support aids. With more and more districts having completed the post-literacy programmes, the NGOs now have to diversify the scope of their activities. They are expected to take up area-specific continuing education programmes for life-long learning. This will include skill development programmes for personal, social and occupational development. Partnership with Universities The adult education departments in institutions of higher learning have a very useful and practical role to play. They have genuine contributions to make both in the sphere of policy making and in practical implementation. A special scheme, therefore, for the involvement of higher educational institutions has been conceived with the specific purpose of making their role more focused. If universities and such other institutions come forward even in a moderate way, the literacy movement would benefit enormously. Some of the areas in which they can actively contribute are: Provide special resource support to literacy activities in all phases Provide resource support for continuing education schemes by preparing short-term courses for neo-literates Undertake evaluation, research and documentation of TLC/PLC and CE programmes Involve university staff on a full-time basis in literacy programmes Participate in environment building Run continuing education centres