Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh [Images], on Thursday, regretted that the campaign to spread literacy by late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi has lost its missionary zeal over the years, turning into a mere bureaucratic exercise.

Presenting the prestigious literacy awards to best performing districts and institutions on the occasion of International Literacy Day, Singh said there is a need to launch a renewed movement to make the National Literacy Mission a success.

"Now again there is a need to re-launch the movement," he said, adding that 10 lakh women members elected to panchayats could be included in the campaign to make the movement more socially relevant.

• Cess for education

Singh said the government's commitment to provide free and compulsory primary education of good quality to all children, particularly girls, by 2007 and of elementary education by 2010, as articulated in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, sets the country firmly on road to achieving education for all goals.

Singh also presented the Satyen Maitra Memorial Literacy Award to Bhagal district for total literacy campaign, Pauri Garhwal for post-literacy campaign and Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu for continuing education programme. The award includes a shield and citation.

The NLM-UNESCO awards, carrying a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a citation, were presented to Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Vijayawada, State Resource Centre, Jaipur and Centre for Adult Continuing Education and Extension, University of Kerala [Images].

• Saving India through its schools