Karnal, July 9 -- The Ambala education department has launched a unique literacy drive, training 17 educated inmates at the Ambala Central Jail to provide basic literacy to 236 non-literate prisoners. The 236 inmates have been registered on the ULLAS portal, while 17 inmates have been selected as volunteer teachers under the Ullas Nav Bharat Saksharta Programme. Officials from the education department said that under the campaign, illiterate inmates are surveyed, motivated for a basic course and then appear for the literacy assessment also called Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT). District education officer (DEO) Sudhir Kalra said that the inmates are expected to appear for the literacy assessment scheduled in September and those who qualify will receive literacy certificates issued by the Government of India. Kalra said the programme had been implemented in a structured manner where initially, 17 educated inmates were identified and registered as volunteer teachers and all 236 non-literate prisoners were mapped to these volunteers, following which regular literacy classes commenced. During the launch on Wednesday, Kalra along with jail superintendent Satvinder Godara, interacted with the volunteer teachers, distributed copies of the teaching manual and briefed them on teaching methods, classroom responsibilities and learner engagement. He said literacy was not merely about reading and writing but also about restoring confidence, dignity and hope. Highlighting the progress of the district's literacy mission, district Ullas nodal officer Sushil Arora said that nearly 33,000 non-literate persons had been registered on the Ullas portal across Ambala, while around 27,000 had already qualified the literacy assessment. Godara said that the programme would positively transform prisoners' lives....