Aayam Tiwari

Universal literacy is a prospect in which all people are literate. As egalitarian as it sounds, its implications are diverse and subtle. Literacy, as defined by professionals, is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in ways that will allow us to communicate effectively to a variety of different audiences and to make sense of the world.
Universal literacy is a derivative from justice itself, which predicates fairness. Many people advocate universal literacy because they believe it is just. Although the possibility of everyone being equally educated seems effectual, it may not be so in reality.

Impact on writing
Universal literacy would severely impact the quality of writing. Most of people who write would want to make their works accessible to the majority. And if one prioritises the majority, then one must write in a way that is simple and agreeable to the majority. It is evident in the present that when literacy increases, the rate of discussing classics decreases. One could argue that the decline of reading texts has to do with the advent of the internet and the busy life of people. However, such arguments are easily refuted if one considers the accessibility of such arduous text by the internet and the reluctance of people to read.

When people cease to read such indispensable books, they never get a chance to learn from the great minds that lived before them. It is essential to ponder about their lives and their impact on the world, which is the underlying theme of numerous classics. It makes people inquire about their stance in the world, their exigency, and their significance but, this is not the case.
There were few significant people in human history. Maybe literacy played a great role in shaping history. That implies we would expect numerous significant individuals in the future, but due to some of our miscalculations, maybe we might repeat history yet again. To avoid such problems, we need to be cautious and focus on the way we achieve this global goal.

Nowadays, people are only concerned about the latest materials. They only read for the sake of conversation. They lose the ability to educate their minds. To make a viable difference in oneself and the world, people should read books that were admired throughout history. Instead of reading many books, one should suggest reading a few books that have survived the test of time. In the process, one must pause and ponder the implications; otherwise, they are merely imitating other's ideas.

Most people who read many books without self-reflection have read themselves stupid. They blithely articulate major themes of the books but are themselves banal. Due to the brevity of our busy lives, reading several books is a waste of time. One should only read a few books and invest most of the time in thinking rather than reading.
The primary goal of universal literacy must be thinking rather than reading and writing. The current measures to ensure universal literacy are just for these trivial rather than thinking itself. In the past, the reasons for universal literacy might have been for religious, economic, or even nationalist agendas, but presently, due to the immense developments in technologies and fleeting social and religious constraints, it is unjust to be deprived of something so crucial for living.

Solitude
Universal literacy should stimulate and educate minds to think, to doubt, and to enhance one's ability and competence. To attain success, solitude is crucial, but people do not appreciate solitude due to religious and social reasons. Solitude is an essential part of life to remain cognitively healthy. Time should be allocated by people to remain in solitude. The world is full of contradictions. People that read realise it more than anyone, but if they do not contemplate these convoluted interpretations of so-called “truths”. They do not think and replace those complex ideas with simpler ones.

Due to the technological advances of our time, accessibility to the internet itself is a resource for literacy. The conventional university degrees are becoming obsolete. The education system itself is in a process of massive paradigm shift. Any educational resources are available online; most of them are even free of cost. This is a great asset for people and, if used effectively, it can have a significant impact on universal literacy.

(Tiwari is a freelance writer. aayam2003@gmail.com)