Education - A social responsibility

Education, in the largest sense, is any act or experience that has a formative effect on mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense education is the process by which the society deliberately transmits its acquired knowledge, skills and values from one generation to the other in order to bring out the potential of an individual.
Literacy: UNESCO defines it as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create and communicate.
national commission describes it to be acquiring the skills of reading, writing and the ability to apply them to one's day to day lives.
The right to education has been created and recognised by some jurisdictions. Since 1952,Article 2 of the first protocol to the european convention on human rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education. the united nations international covenant on economic, social ad cultural rights of 1966 guarantees this right under Article 13.the right of children to free and compulsory education act in 2009, made it compulsory for children of age group 6-14 to go to through primary education. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the operationalisation of this act, for children who had been either dropped out or had never gone to school. as per this act, private educational institutions should reserve 25% seats for the children from the weaker classes of the society. the centre and the states have agreed to share the financial burden in the ratio of 55:45, while the finance commission has given rs.25000 crore to the states for implementing this act. the centre has approved an outlay of  Rs15000 crore for 2010-2011. A sizeable network of rural education had been established by the time gandhigram rural institute was established in india. Women education is given equal importance, as according to the report of thby us department of commerce,the chief reasons to female educatin problem are inadequate school facilities, shortage of female teachers and gender bias. Concerted efforts led to improvement from 15.3% in 1961 to 28.5% in 1981.by 2001,women literacy had exceeded 50% of the overall female population. recently the government has launched saakshar bharat mission for female literacy, which aims to bring down female illiteracy by half of the present level.
Govt. schemes:
National Literacy Mission, formed in 1988, and aims to attain a literacy rate of 75% by 2007. It imparts functional literacy to illiterate in the age group 15-35yrs. Total literacy campaign is the principle strategy for the iradication of illiteracy. continuing educational scheme provides learning continuum to the efforts of the total literacy and post literacy programme.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, was formed in 2001, to ensure all childrenof age group 6-14 attend school and complete 8yrs of schooling within 2010. important component is education guarantee scheme and alternative and innovative education, primarily for children in areas having no formal schools within 1km of radius. it has introduced centrally sponsored district primary education programme in 1994.
Mid-day Meal scheme- Out of the estimated 205 million students from the age group 6-14 by march1, 2002, 82.5% enrolled. the drop out rate in 2002-03 was 34.9%  in primary level and 52.8%in upper primary level.this was introduced in 1995 to attract students to come to school.

Non-Govt efforts:
Asha for education, found by sandeep pandey with its mission to bring about change in socio economic field in india.
Manidipudi Venkatarangaiya Foundation, founded by Shantha Sinha aims to create a social climate hostile to child labour and  child marriage.