Information Literacy: Need of the Hour in Indian Higher Education System

Higher education institutions in the 21st century are expected to develop competent information literate students capable of meeting future challenges of global competition and challenging dynamic working environment. In the fast emerging Global Knowledge Society, information literacy (IL) has become essential skill for the students to find, evaluate and use effectively the needed information to achieve their educational goals in view of the rapidly changing technologies and increasing complex variety of information resources. This paper explains the concept of IL, discusses the need and importance of IL and highlights the IL competence standards for higher education. It also discusses the IL initiatives at global level and emphasises the urgent need for the development of IL programmes in Indian higher education system.