January 10: The 16th five-year periodic plan which is in the drafting stage now has set a goal to ensure cent percent literacy rate in the country.    
The government has set a target to increase the literacy rate to 100 percent in the age group of five years and above within the next five years.    
The concept was put forth in a discussion held on Monday and Tuesday on the draft of 16th periodic plan.     
According to the National Planning Commission, currently the literacy rate in the age of five and above group is 76.2 only.    
The target is being set to increase the literacy to cent percent by the end of the 16th plan or the fiscal year of 2085/86.    
Likewise, the plan has put forward the target to ensure access to internet in all schools to improve teaching learning. Though there is access to internet for teaching and learning in urban schools, it has not been accessible at all schools across the country.    
The internet access rate now is 35.9 percent and it would be increased to cent percent in five years, the draft proposes.    
However, the targets set in the draft have yet to be finalized, said NPC member Dr Ramesh Chandra Poudel.    
The NPC has also pitched an idea to increase the education sector budget to 17 percent. -- RSS