Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme/system was launched from 2013 under which 25
      schemes across eight ministries/departments were selected for implementation of DBT system in
      43 pilot districts of 16 states/UTs. It envisages direct transfer of funds to beneficiary account
      through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB). From 2015, DBT Scheme was extended in the
      entire country. Two scholarship schemes of the Department of School Education and Literacy,
      viz., National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) and National Scheme of
      Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) are covered under it. A National
      Scholarship Portal (NSP) has been made operational for on-line submission of proposals/list of
      beneficiaries by the state governments for NMMSS and NSIGSE.
      Adult Education
            At the time of independence, 86 per cent of India’s population was illiterate and as such the
      main focus of adult education had been on its very bottom tier i.e., imparting of ‘Basic literacy’.
      For accomplishment of this objective, a series of programmes were introduced since the First
      Plan period, the most prominent, being the National Literacy Mission (NLM), launched in 1988
      for the adults in the age group of 15+. The programme of National Literacy Mission was
      revamped in 2009 in alignment with new paradigms of lifelong learning as Saakshar Bharat.
      Considerable progress has been made in raising the Literacy rate of the country but still the
      levels remain uneven across different states, districts, social groups and minorities. The overall
      goal of adult education is to establish a fully literate society through improved quality and
      standard of adult education and literacy.
            The National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) is the operating and implementing
      organization at national level for all the activities envisaged in Adult Education and Skill
      Development. During the 12th Five Year Plan, NLMA has been striving to raise the literacy rate
      to 80 per cent and to reduce the gender gap to less than 10 per cent.
            Of the 410 districts which qualify for coverage under Saakshar Bharat Programme, the
      Programme has been sectioned in 404 districts in 26 states and 1 union territory covering about
      1.64 lakh Gram Panchayats. During 2016-17 the programme has been continued in these 404
      districts. Teaching learning process has commenced in 57.8 lakh Literacy Centres. About 45.73
      lakh Volunteer Teachers have been trained by Master Trainers and 2.54 lakh Master Trainers
      were trained by Resource Persons. In addition about 13.5 thousand Resource Persons have also
      been trained. Basic Literacy Primers in 13 languages and 26 local dialects have been printed and
      distributed so far for the learners. Around 8.27 crore learners have been enrolled under basic
      literacy.
      National Award to Teachers
            Instituted in 1958, the National Award to Teachers (NAT) is given away by the President of
      India on 5th September (Teacher’s Day) every year to give public recognition to meritorious
      teachers working in primary, middle and secondary schools. Altogether there are 378 awards out
      of which 23 are reserved for Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic teachers. Each state/union territory/
      organization has an earmarked quota based on the number of teachers. The Scheme also covers
      teachers of the schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) including
      teachers of independent affiliated schools situated abroad, Council for Indian School Certificate
      Examination (CISCE), Sainik School, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya
      Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), Central Tibetan School Administration (CTSA) and schools run by the