Non-Formal Education Centre, the authority to conduct literacy programmes across the country, has announced Sindhupalchok, Lalitpur, Dhading, Palpa, Chitwan, Mustang, Syanja, Tahanun, Lamjung, Pyuthan, Arghakhanchi, Surkhet, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Dang, Panchthar, Gulmi and Kaski as total literate districts.

The government in 2009 started the multi-billion programme to declare Nepal as a total literate country by this year. Similarly, around 1,000 VDCs and five municipalities also have been declared literate regions. However, the deadline has been postponed for next year after majority of the districts failed to conduct literacy classes owing to the April 25 earthquake.

According to Centre’s Deputy Director Bishnu Prasad Mishra, two more districts Nuwakot and Bhaktapur are also in line to declare total literate which will increase the numbers of literate districts to 20 within a month. He said data verification is ongoing in two districts for their authentication.

Following a controversy of anomalies over literacy classes, the Ministry of Education six months ago had directed all the District Education Offices to verify data in the presence of representatives from political parties, media and other civil society organisations. The records at the centre show 1.74 million people between 15 to 60 years of age were illiterate in the last fiscal year. “We hope more than half of them have become literates,” said Mishra, adding the accurate data on the total number of illiterates will be flashed within a month.

The government has embarked Rs 360 million for the literacy programme this year which was Rs 1.10 billion last year. Through the budget speech the government has announced to attain total literacy in a year by mobilising the students from grade 9 and 10.  The students attend the literacy classes which will be worth 10 marks in the School Leaving Certificate examination. Over Rs 6 billion has been invested in the programme so far.