The Chhattisgarh State has been awarded the ‘National Literacy Award’ for the fifth time in a row.

The award has been conferred under the ‘Shakshar Bharat Karyakram’. President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the National Literacy Award upon Bastar District  in New Delhi, Bastar District Collector Amit Kataria received the National Literacy Award at the hands of President Pranab Mukherjee at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Another  National Literacy Award was given to Gram Panchayat Ghiroud (Development Block Dharsiva) of Raipur district.Union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani and Union Minister of State Upendra Kushawaha were also present. Chief Minister Raman Singh and School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap congratulated the citizens of Bastar and Village Panchayat Ghiroud on the historic achievement.Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Ghiroud Chandrakumar Naik also received the award.Three districts were chosen for the National Literacy Award- Bastar (Jagdalpur) district, Haveri in Karnataka, Dhramapuri in Tamil Nadu.Village Ghiroud has achieved the rare distinction of 85 per cent literacy. It is a part of MP Model Village Scheme also.