The National Literacy Mission (NLM) was launched on 5th May 1988 by late Prime Minsiter Shri Rajiv Gandhi.
  
The first experiment of NLM with the campaign mode was first seen in Kottayam city of Kerala. At this time the district collector, by mobilizing 200 volunteers from the local university and forging links with 2000 non-literates in the 6-60 age group, succeeded in making them completely literate within three months.
 
Other than, the real breakthrough came with an experiment in mass literacy campaign initiated in 1989 and successfully finished in 1990 in Ernakulam district in Kerala. The campaign for total literacy here saw fusion among the district management headed by its collector, volunteer groups, social activists and others, and was spearheaded by the Kerala Shastra Sahita Parishad (KSSP).   Ernakulam achieved this objective on 4th February 1990 and along with it, the unique distinction of being the first district in the country to become ‘fully’ literate.
 
The principal shift in strategy adopted in the Ernakulam experiment was a change to a well-coordinated, comprehensive and particular initiative. It also has marked a modify by altering the social context in order to create demand for the progamme and further to sustain it. It recognized the feasibility of mass-based, community-based, campaign approach with the objective of generating environment building and demand for literacy followed by literacy instruction.   The subsequent adoption of the campaign has taken firm root and has given rise to the Total Literacy Campaign (TLC) approach. Drawing inspiration from the success achieved in Ernakulam, entire Kerala, Goa an UT of Puduchery and numerous districts in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal took up the challenge for achieving total literacy in a given time frame. These TLCs had a snowballing achieve and campaigns were launched in quick succession all over the country.
 
Literacy, as enunciated in NLM is not an end in itself but has to be an active and strong instrument of change ensuring achievement of these social objectives and creation of a knowledge society. The acquisition of functional literacy results in empowerment and a specific progress in the quality of life.
 
The Mission objective was to impart practical literacy to 80 million illiterate persons in 15-35 age group - 30 million by 1990 and additional 50 million by 1995. Though, now the goal of the Mission is to attain a sustainable threshold literacy rate of 75 per cent by 2007.
 
National Literacy Mission finally aims at ensuring that the Total Literacy Campaigns (TLC) and their sequel, the Post-Literacy Programme (PLP), successfully move on to Continuing Education (CE), which provides a life-long knowledge and also responsible for the creation of a knowledge society.

The literacy campaigns were one of the chief movements in the world for eradicating illiteracy. It occupied more than 15 million volunteers purely on a voluntary basis. Even though the literacy campaigns are being implemented with varying degrees of success, amazing development was achieved on several fronts. The campaign was also responsible in the actions on the social evils like anti liquor, dowry system, child marriage and thrift and credit. It also created a conducive environment in reducing the drop out rate of children from school, colossal enrolment of children in the primary schools and achievement of immunization campaigns.
 
The mass literacy campaigns and the consequent development and recognition of the value of education among the general public has led to a strong demand for universalizing primary education. In numerous TLC districts such Hoogly in West Bengal, admission figures registered a sharp increase and the over 30 per cent upward swing was attributed to the impact of the TLC in the district.
 
The literacy movement created knowledge regarding the civic rights and played an active role in the participation of public in democratic system. During this movement, a huge number of literacy volunteers especially women, neo-literates and the functionaries were selected as people representatives in the panchyati raj institutions.
 
Several of the significant ways in which the literacy campaigns contributed to the promotion of female literacy and women empowerment are: heightened social awareness, increase in school enrolment, increase in self confidence and behavior development, gender equity and women’s empowerment, status in the family, educational equality, women as entrepreneurs, house hold saving and access to credit and health and hygiene.