Srinagar, Nov. 18 -- The word Rehbar is an Urdu term that translates to guide in English, and the Rehbar-E-Taleem scheme truly lived up to this noble designation. Introduced in 2000 by the then Honourable Education Minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, this initiative marked a turning point in the Jammu and Kashmir's education sector. At that time, many schools were still nonfunctional in far flung and rural areas owing to the unwillingness of teachers to serve at places inaccessible for the most part.

The literacy rate, according to the 2001 Census, was a pitiful 55.52%, male literacy being at 66.60% and female literacy a poor 43.00%. As the need for such a measure called for urgent attention, the Rehbar-E-Taleem scheme sou...