Satyen Maitra

Satyen Maitra died on June 5, 1996, in Kolkata. In memory of Maitra, the Government of India instituted the "Satyen Maitra National Literacy Award”, recognizing literacy campaigns across India.

Satyen Maitra evolved the system called the “Eclectic Method” for adult and non-formal education. It has been accepted in the following Indian educational programs: Total Literacy Campaign (TLC), Post Literacy Program (PLP), and Continuing Education Program (CEP). Maitra wrote textbooks for adults in non-formal education. He was inducted into the Advisory Committee of the National Board of Education in 1970. In 1961, Maitra became a member of the Indian Adult Education Association of West Bengal Unit thanks to his lifelong contribution to literacy, from 1943 to 1996.

Satyen Maitra (born Satyendranath Maitra; August 15, 1915 – June 5, 1996) was an educator, social worker, and a pioneer of mass education in India.

Satyen Maitra was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, India, on August 15, 1915. His father was Dwijendranath Maitra. The Maitra family hailed from the Barisal District, now in Bangladesh. Maitra's grandfather was Loknath Maitra. He was a good friend of Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar. At the call of Vidyasagar, Loknath married Jagattarni Devi, a widow. Satyen Maitra passed the matriculation examination at the Mitra Institution and graduated in with a degree in economics from Presidency College (now Presidency University) in Calcutta. He continued to study economics at the London School of Economics. However, due to an illness, he did not complete his studies.