ISLAMABAD: The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) will set up 540,000 literacy centres throughout the country.

`This intervention will increase the literacy rate by 10 per cent,` said newly appointed Chairperson of NCHD, Senator Rozina Alam Khan.

In an introductory media briefing here on Monday, she said the NCHD would establish the centers in the districts where literacy rate was below 50 per cent.

The chairperson further said the NCHD had planned to bring a paradigm shift in its literacy programme.

`We will ensure universal primary education to all children of five to nine years of age, besides giving a chance to the children in the age group of 10 to 16 years who quit schools,` she said andadded that NCHD would also play its due role in helping the government to enroll 6.7 million out-of-school children.

`We will also try to set up national data base centres in collaboration with provinces,` she said.

The newly appointed chairperson said the NCHD would increase literacy rate to 75 per cent by 2018 from existing 60 per cent through national youth literacy movement. Talking to Dawn, she said during her five year tenure, she would try to achieve the targets she mentioned in her news conference.

`I believe in implementation, not planning only,` she said.

The NCHD was established in 2002 as a statutory autonomous federal body, mandated with the role to support and augment human development efforts in the country. A Reporter