Over 92 percent people between 15 to 60 years of age in the country can now read and write, according to a recent report released by Non Formal Education Centre (NFEC).

The report says that there are only 286,913 people (7.5 percent) in the 15-60 age bracket who are illiterate.

Thanks to the literacy classes run by the NFEC, 18 districts are now literate zones and 37 others are in the process of receiving the illiteracy-free status. A district, municipality or VDC is declared as a literate zone

if more than 95 percent of its population can read and write.

The NFEC report shows that the highest number of illiterate people is in Dolpa district where 22.8 percent people still cannot read and write. There are 20.4

percent illiterate people in Mahottari district, 19.3 percent in Doti district and 18.3 in Rolpa district.

The government started intensive literacy campaign across the country in 2009 when the number of illiterate people in the country stood at 7.8 million. The aim of the campaign was to achieve 100 percent literacy by 2015.

NFEC Director Baburam Poudel said the government is putting in all efforts to achieve 100 percent literacy by the end of this year.

Although the government had announced to mark fiscal year 2014/15 as literacy year, the plan did not succeed after many districts failed to run the literacy classes due to the devastating earthquake of April 25 in which dozens of community learning centres were been destroyed.

Poudel said there will be intensive literacy classes from this year on.

The government has so far invested around Rs 6.14 billion in literacy campaign.