Canvas Painting of 72-Year-Old Student Babai Aajji from Satara Graces Corridor of Union Education Ministry Office

Satara: A portrait of 72-year-old student Babai Maskar from Satara has earned a place in the corridors of the Union Education Ministry office. 

On September 8, World Literacy Day, Babai attended Chinchani Village's literacy class for the first time. At the time, she had written some numbers and letters on the slate for the first time. The joy on Babai Maskar's face was captured on camera and the picture had gone viral. Deputy Director of Education Rajesh Kshirsagar had sent the picture to the Centre. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar took to Twitter to praise the picture and Babai Maskar. At the concluding function of the National Fair held in Delhi on February 6 and 7, Union Secretary Sanjay Kumar showed the picture to everyone and appealed to boost the adult literacy movement. 

Ananya Chavan, a class 10 volunteer student from Ratnagiri, made canvas paintings based on a photograph which was then adorned in the corridor of the Union Education Ministry. The Ministry of Education had taken note of three works of art from Maharashtra. These include a photograph of Babai Maskar, as well as a photograph of 72-year-old Sushila, who studied while suffering from spinal ailments in Baramati and her nine-year-old granddaughter Ruchita Kshirsagar, who taught her and promoted literacy through singing, and a painting by Ananya Chavan showing the essence of the Navbharat literacy program. All three artworks have been gifted to the central government at the Ulhas Mela.

Director of Planning Education Mahesh Palkar also praised the three artworks and appealed to illiterate people across the state to join the campaign and become literate.