TCS Literacy Program addresses the challenge of non-literacy, prevalent in India, especially among women and marginalized communities, helping them integrate into mainstream society and actively participate in the digital financial economy, contributing to nation-building.
With world’s 1/3rd functionally non-literates residing in India, these numbers amplified with financially, digitally non-literates, hinders India’s ability to achieve its full economic potential. A substantial portion of the non-literate population consists of women and marginalized communities, especially those from Affirmative Action groups. TCS Literacy Program promotes social inclusion and empowers individuals through literacy in their native language. It leverages algorithmic learning paths and cloud-based personalized vernacular content to address the significant adult literacy gap in India.
Launched in the year 2000 as a brainchild of TCS’ founding CEO, Dr F C Kohli, TCS Literacy Program then known as Adult Literacy Program (ALP), helps adults integrate into mainstream society, teaching them how to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic using graphics, sound patterns, language structure, cloud-based personalized vernacular content and algorithmic learning paths. Over the last 25 years, the program has evolved to deliver financial literacy, digital literacy, awareness of key citizen entitlements, and disaster resilience literacy. Of these, functional literacy, financial literacy and awareness of key citizen entitlements are available in nine Indian languages.
TCS partners with the Department of Education Government of India, National and State Literacy Departments, NGOs, and rural livelihood missions to reach those in need.
TCS Literacy Program also encompasses the “Each One Empowers One” initiative that democratizes literacy, giving the employees of TCS and other Tata group companies the opportunity to volunteer and empower the underserved in their community such as, security guards, domestic workers, and gardeners. This digital platform offers training, videos, assessments, and digital certificates.
There are two execution models for TCS Literacy Program – partner-led implementation model and statewide implementation model.
In a partner-led implementation model, an NGO is selected after due diligence and receives orientation on the different aspects of the program: community mobilization, candidate selection, baseline and endline measurements, and also the content and curriculum of the program. The partner is required to periodically provide progress reports of the projects and conduct assessments to measure the impact of the program.
TCS delivers a comprehensive program design that includes a dedicated training program, a curriculum design featuring animated video content, and an innovative pedagogical framework to train individuals. Additionally, TCS prepares the implementation partner through training and provides them with a detailed orientation handbook.
In the statewide implementation model, TCS partners with a state government body like State Literacy Mission Authority (SLMA) and State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM). SLMA and/or SRLM will leverage its machinery to take TCS Literacy Program to relevant beneficiaries in their network, that is usually in lakhs, enabling impact at scale. In the process, SLMA/SRLM officers are involved in training at multiple levels from districts to blocks to clusters to villages. In certain states, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are also involved. TCS brings to the table the program design, content and curriculum and primarily plays the role of a knowledge partner. TCS also provides initial training and continued support with consulting and enabling measurements.
Literacy opens the door to self-respect, builds self-confidence and puts the learner on the path of self-reliance. In addition to the above, TCS Literacy Program’s transformational impact offers its beneficiaries a means to financial independence and provides them with an opportunity to be a role model for their children. The program has also given neo-literates better access to government benefit schemes, and financial systems.
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