Over 2 lakh women take literacy exam under Akshar Aanchal Yojana

Patna: In a move towards female empowerment and self-reliance, almost 50,000 newly literate women in Patna and over two lakh women in Bihar took the Basic Literacy Examination on Sunday under the state govt’s Akshar Aanchal Yojana.

The exam, held across the state, marked a cultural shift as many of these women celebrated their ability to sign documents rather than rely on thumbprints.The examination was the culmination of nine months of intensive study. Participants between the ages of 15 to 45, from Dalit, Mahadalit and extremely backward classes, attended classes in batches of 20, six days a week from Monday to Saturday, for an hour between 3pm and 4pm.

While Talimi Markaz mostly taught Muslim women, Shiksha Sevaks instructed the others. The curriculum covered language and basic arithmetic, as well as govt schemes and family planning.The biannual exam was of 150 marks, with 50 each for maths, writing and reading, and required 30 marks to pass. Results are expected by the end of December. Across Patna district’s 23 blocks, 990 Shiksha Sevaks and Talimi Markaz conducted these classes.

Geeta Devi (45), a resident near Patna Women’s College, said, “I learnt how to write my name here for the first time. My grandsons, aged 12 and 14, helped me prepare. I always wanted to study, and now I know that even at 45, I can learn.”Similarly, Indu Devi, from Makhania Kuan, said, “I studied only up to Class III before marriage, and those lessons slipped away. Now, after a year, I can write my name, my family’s names, and my address.

This means when we visit govt offices, we won’t face any problem because we can finally sign our own documents.”This sense of achievement resonated with Savita Bharti (40), who lives near PMCH. She said, “My son is so proud of me; he wished me luck. There is no age to study. Now I can read important documents without asking for help from others.”“Our main goal is to teach women how to write their name and the basics of math so they can use it every day,” said Anamika Kumari, key resource person, Patna Sadar.

She said this programme uses pictorial books to help women link words to objects, and has seen exponential growth over the decade she’s been involved, often due to their children’s encouragement. Anamika added, “Learning to read and write boosts their self-confidence because it prevents them from being easily deceived in financial matters.

”However, Shiksha Sevak Sunita Kumari highlighted a common challenge, “Most of the women we teach are 30–35 and highly motivated. But the most difficult part is grasping the basics of math—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They find language and alphabet much easier to learn.”The exam was monitored by assistant director, directorate of mass education, Deepti and managed locally by Premchand, teacher of Kanya Middle school and spokesperson, Bihar state primary teachers’ association.