Among the shames we name for a superpower India, illiteracy tops the list. So, we should welcome the human resource development ministry's renewed efforts to push for adult literacy. In this media-centric age, the ministry is planning to name 'brand ambassadors' for the initiative. Nothing wrong in that, either. People can relate to a face, wishing to emulate the brand ambassadors can motivate them to take up learning ka, kha and ga at an advanced age. Fine. But the ministry proposes to name Priyanka Gandhi, Supriya Sule, Kanimozhi and Nita Ambani in this august role. And that's where many of us would like to disagree – as noted commentator Ramachandra Guha has in his comment today. The HRD minister, it seems, is more focused on political mileage than adult literacy.

As Guha rightly points out, each of these wonderful women (by the way, why is the line-up is all female?) is somebody's daughter, wife or sister. Instead, he has proposed several names: sports stars Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza (though we wonder what's their connection with with slate and pen), actress Shabana Azmi, business leaders Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Chanda Kochchar and social activist Ela Bhatt. Among politicians, he suggests Mayawati can certainly inspire many to take up learning.

And then, of course, there is the inimitable Mahasweta Devi, whose name keeps doing rounds every year when the Nobels are to be announced even as she busies herself with tribal rights campaigns in spite of her age. Many of us would think a certain Booker Prize winner turned social activist can be an ideal brand ambassador for adult literacy.

Who do you think is the icon of literacy and (by extension) social empowerment? Who are the people who can inspire masses to devote time and energy to join a night school and start learning to read and write? Obviously, the government is short of ideas, write in your wish list in the comment space below and help the government.