Tutor: SS Coaching team
Tihar Jail has made special efforts to provide education to inmates with the hopes that imparting education will go a long way in changing behaviour and attitude of criminals. Tihar Jail, one of the largest prisons in Asia, has launched a literacy campaign in partnership with National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Education will be provided for its inmates, among which 20 per cent are unlettered and 65 per cent have not even studied till Class 10.
This is a known fact that lesser the literacy the more the crime we see around in the society which is also the reason people are unemployed and go for crimes. Prison authorities are conducting various education programmes to raise the awareness level of its inmates away from their criminal past so that they understand the value and importance of education for themselves and for the people they have to look after. It has so far been a successful experiment with the criminals with more and more inmates of the jail showing positive energy to spend time in jail with studying.
Criminal behavior can be changed by imparting education. Towards this, the capital's Tihar Jail, one of the largest in Asia, is dynamically conducting a literacy campaign among its new and old inmates, 20 percent of whom are unlettered and a staggering 65 percent have not even studied till Class 10. The majority of the prison population has education below Class 10 which is a matter of deep concern. Most of the prisoners in the illiterate category are newcomers.
The prison administration in 2013 started foreign language classes in French, Spanish and German, as well as in Hindi and English to build self- confidence among the prison inmates. The prison inmates are also being trained in hotel management in collaboration with the tourism industry with the support of Indian government. Jail officials have also encouraged inmates to participate in activities like singing and essay writing to bring out their creativity.
The official added that the illiterate population of 20.68 percent would have been much higher but for the jail's literacy programme. The official said that adult education classes are being conducted in the 10 sub-jails in the prison that has 13,552 prisoners.
Among the convicts and under trials, the maximum number are accused of rape and murder. According to Tihar data, at the time of collecting data and statitics, more than 19 percent of the males and 36 percent of females were illiterate, while 44 percent of males and 34 percent females have not passed Class 10.
The campus placements will also be conducted to provide job opportunities to the qualified and exceptional inmates to help them earn a respectable livelihood and keep them away from crime after their release because they will then have a valid reason to be a part of the society with a different perspective to life.
