Saakshar Bharat, the new variant of earlier NLM, a centrally sponsored
scheme of Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL), Ministry of Human
Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India (GOI), was launched on the
International Literacy Day, 8th September, 2009 with the following goals: to raise literacy
rate to 80%, to reduce gender gap to 10% and minimize regional and social disparities, with
focus on Women, SCs, STs, Minorities, other disadvantaged groups. All those districts that
had female literacy rate below 50% (as per census 2001) including Left Wing Extremism
affected districts (irrespective of literacy level) are being covered under the programme.