Ratneswar Bhattacharjee

Why India Failed in Literacy Ratneswar Bhattacharjee

India, the third largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, has also the largest number of illiterate adults - above 270 million as per the official figure. The actual number according to international literacy standards is above 500 million. This book tries to answer the basic question - Has India actually been a nation of ignorant people throughout its history? Or was this a British gift combined with recent wrongdoings? From a reader's perspective, the history of Indian literacy is extremely exciting. Even though Indians took hold of their own education, they remained impervious to the need of mass education. This book has tried to recount and analyse the various ups and downs along with the severe struggles witnessed by our countrymen. It concludes with a detailed discussion on India's literacy interventions. The author also provides seven constructive literacy policy suggestions from his long experiences in literacy and adult education.