Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 13 : Bhopal Central Jail has acted on the principle that everyone has the right to education and it provides free education to inmates lodged here.
The prisoners are being made literate under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all) campaign of the Indian government. There are about 6,900 inmates who became literates in the last one year.
Besides, 300 prisoners took the Under Graduate exam, 57 took Post Graduate exam, 463 took primary education exam, 92 prisoners took secondary education exam and 243 prisoners took higher secondary education exam. 158 women prisoners also took various exams and 10 women became proficient in computer education.
Speaking to , Bhopal Central Jail Superintendent Rakesh Bhangre said, "In order to make the inmates literate and to raise their level of education, they are being taught and being given diploma degrees. It is being done so that when the prisoners get released from jail, they can earn a living and become educated."
Various types of courses are being taught to the prisoners from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in the Central Jail Bhopal. The courses which are being conducted in jail include Bachelors degree programs, Certificate in Rural Development, Certificate in Food and Nutrition, Certificate in HIV and Family Education, MA and MBA, he said.
"There are 6900 prisoners who have obtained diploma degrees by pursuing different courses in the last one year. Some women are also there who have taken a diploma in computer courses. We are also identifying and trying to make such prisoners literate, who do not know how to read and write at all. They are being taught regularly during morning and evening in the jail," Bhangre said, adding that those prisoners, who are less educated, are being taught to pass the class 10th and class 12th exams.
He added, "We believe that our campaign will enable us to educate all the prisoners so that they can become good citizens. Besides, we will try to ensure that when the inmates get released from here, they will have the means of employment. If not then definitely we will also try to provide employment opportunities to such prisoners in other institutions and orgsations."
Similarly, the prisoners who are in the open jail also face the same problem. We also provide employment opportunities to them through local institutions and orgsations. At present some prisoners are also taking care of their families, he added.
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