LITERACY
41
TABLE No 2.1
Literacy Rate-States and Union Territories-1961, 1971 and 1981
Total
State/Union 1961 1971 1981
Territory
No. of Literacy No. of Literacy No. of Literacy
Literates Rate Literates Rate Literates Rate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
INDIA 105 499,155 24.02 161,377,780 29.46 2,41,031,849 36.22
1. Andhra Pradesh 7,626,527 21.19 10,689,665 24.57 16,034,818 29.94
2. Assam 2,993,416 27.56 4,295,564 28.72 - -
3. Bihar 8,547,845 18.40 11,237,613 19.94 18,321,004 26.20
4. Gujarat 6,283,256 30.45 9,555,289 35.79 14,895,844 43.70
5. Haryana 1,512,795 19.93 2,699,179 26.89 4,669,898 36.13
6. Himachal Pradesh 597,930 21.26 1,105,825 31.96 1,818,287 42.47
7. Jammu & Kashmir 392,761 11.03 857,964 18.58 15,96,776 26.66
8. Karnataka 5,990,585 25.40 9,235,127 31.52 14,282,717 38.46
9. Kerala 7,919,220 46.85 12,898,072 60.42 17,924,732 70.42
10. Madhya Pradesh 5,544,862 17.13 9,223,081 22.14 14,544,568 27.87
11. Maharashtra 11,793,070 29.82 19,753,608 39.18 29,620,806 47.17
12. Manipur 237,276 30.42 353,090 32.91 587,618 41.35
13. Meghalaya 137,571 18.47 298,312 29.49 455,191 34.07
14. Nagaland 66,117 17.91 141,518 27.40 329,878 42.56
15. Orissa 3,801,245 21.66 5,745,399 26.18 9,027,205 34.23
16. Punjab 2,977,571+ 26.74 4,562,123 33.67 6,860,349 40.86
42
Urban
State/Union 1961 1971 1981
Territories
No. of Literacy No. of Literacy No. of Literacy
Literates Rate Literates Rate Literates Rate
1 8 9 10 11 12 13
INDIA 37,076,327 46.97 57,208,695 52.49 90,514,985 57.40
1. Andhra Pradesh 2,621,727 14.78 3,955,667 47.08 6,492.568 51.99
2. Assam 512,911 57.68 778,836 58.69 - -
3. Bihar 1,690,337 43.19 2,530,541 44.92 4,549,859 52.18
4. Gujarat 2,593,169 48.77 4,115,894 54.90 6,394,058 60.31
5. Haryana N.A. N.A. 904,254 51.00 1,607,743 56.86
6. Himachal Pradesh N.A. N.A. 146,450 60.54 219,840 67.44
7. Jammu & Kashmir 167,639 28.25 327, 610 38.17 574,293 45.56
8. Karnataka 2,328,801 44.22 3,662,937 51.43 6,084,804 56.71
9. Kerala 1,403,154 54.94 2,298,863 66.31 3,631,315 76.10
10. Madhya Pradesh 2,013,966 43.52 3,361,666 49.55 5,718,612 53.96
11. Maharashtra 5,701,002 51.07 9,123.909 58.07 14,058,085 63.91
12. Manipur 34,378 50.77 75,334 53.24 196,894 52.44
13. Meghalaya N.A. N.A. 96,985 65.22 154,734 64.11
14 Nagaland 10,751 56.12 31,241 60.79 77,223 64.22
15. Orissa 489,990 44.16 904,215 49.00 1,703,586 54.77
16. Punjab N.A. N.A. 1,688,220 52.49 2,585,523 55.62
43
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
17. Rajasthan 3,065,568 15.21 4,914,293 19.07 8,354,117 24.38
18. Sikkim N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 107,738 34.05
19. Tamil Nadu 10,580,616 31.41 16,256,393 39.46 22,637,659 46.76
20. Tripura 231,188 20.24 282,082 30.98 864,799 42.12
21. Uttar Pradesh 13,013,183 17.65 19,173,970 21.77 30,105,260 27.15
22. West Bengal 10,225,664 29.28 14,711,739 33.20 22,344,153 40.93
23. A & N Islands 21,372 33.63 50,191 43.59 97,321 51.56
24. Arunachal Pradesh 17,024++ 43.98++ 52,791 11.29 131,333 20.78
25. Chandigarh 61,211+ 51.06 158,371 61.56 292,580 64.78
26. Dadra Nagar Haveli 5,495 9.48 11,105 14.97 27,655 26.67
27. Delhi 1,402,298 52.75 2,301,605 56.61 3,828,326 61.54
28. Goa, Daman & Diu. 192,716 30.75 383,864 44.75 615,752 56.66
29. Lakshadweep 5,610 23.27 13,889 43.66 22,165 55.06
30. Mizoram 117,068 44.00 ** ** 295,685 59.88
31. Pondicherry 138,149 37.43 217,058 46.02 337,615 55.85
*Excludes Assam.
+Computed from the literacy rates as given in the Census 1971.
++Relates to some selected areas in respect to which abridged family schedule was convassed covering a population of only
38,705 persons against total population of 3,36,558 persons in Arunachal Pradesh.
**Included in Assam.
Source : Census of India-1961, 1971 & 1981, Social and Cultural Tables Part.II B.
44
TABLE No. 2.1 (Contd.)
1 8 9 10 11 12 13
17. Rajasthan 1,234,150 37.61 1,976,088 43.47 3,486,536 48.35
18. Sikkim - - - - 28,024 54.85
19. Tamil Nadu 4,487,117 49.91 7,024,806 56.36 10,121,436 63.44
20. Tripura 53,697 52.13 103,933 69.01 166,156 73.66
21. Uttar Pradesh 3,797,212 40.06 6,404,708 44.10 9,130,462 45.88
22. West Bengal 4,517,151 52.89 6,133,785 55.93 9,052,976 62.66
23. A & N Islands 7,060 50.16 16,132 61.53 32,528 65.53
24. Arunachal Pradesh - - 8,724 50.46 22,050 53.22
25. Chandigarh N.A N.A. 160,949 64.80 279,712 66.15
26. Dadra Nagar Haveli - - - - 3,745 54.16
27. Delhi 1,327,112 56.25 2,149,915 58.95 3,613,235 62.64
28. Goa, Daman & Diu. 47,979 47.66 127,729 56.32 228,625 64.98
29. Lakshadweep - - - - 10,926 58.65
30. Mizoram 9,418 66.06 * * 90,216 74.06
31. Pondicherry 50,402 56.68 111,605 56.23 199,221 63.03
45
TABLE No. 2.2
Effective Literacy Rates-States and Union Territories-1971 and 1981
1971 Literacy Rates 1981 Literacy Rate
State/Union (excluding 0-4 age-group) (excluding 0-4 age-group)
Territory
Persons Males Females Persons Males Females
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. Andhra Pradesh 28.52 38.43 18.32 34.08 44.61 23.25
2. Assam 34.60 44.31 23.52 - * *
3. Bihar 23.35 35.78 10.24 30.25 43.79 15.80
4. Gujarat 41.84 53.78 29.00 49.89 62.06 36.93
5. Haryana 31.91 44.02 17.77 * * *
6. Himachal Pradesh 37.30 50.32 23.67 48.74 61.03 36.10
7. Jammu & Kashmir 21.71 31.01 10.94 30.64 41.45 18.36
8. Karnataka 36.83 48.51 24.55 43.92 55.67 31.68
9. Kerala 69.72 77.13 62.53 78.84 84.55 73.35
10. Madhya Pradesh 26.37 38.77 13.08 34.36 45.50 22.62
11 Maharashtra 45.77 59.40 31.00 53.58 66.29 40.26
12. Manipur 38.47 53.70 22.87 47.44 61.05 33.39
13. Meghalaya 35.06 40.44 29.31 39.95 44.26 35.40
14. Nagaland 31.32 39.65 51.56 48.20 56.20 38.76
15. Orissa 30.53 44.50 16.29 + + +
16. Punjab 38.69 46.22 29.91 + + +
17. Rajasthan 22.57 33.87 10.06 28.37 42.03 13.15
18. Sikkim 20.22 28.52 10.31 39.57 50.49 26.16
46
TABLE No. 2.2 (Contd.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
19. Tamil Nadu 45.40 59.54 30.92 + + +
20. Tripura 36.19 46.84 24.84 47.64 58.34 36.27
21. Uttar Pradesh 25.44 36.69 12.46 31.37 44.49 16.33
22. West Bengal 38.86 49.57 26.56 46.32 57.03 34.42
23. A & N Islands 51.15 58.82 38.29 60.24 67.31 50.51
24. Arunachal Pradesh 13.26 20.63 4.43 24.24 33.35 13.39
25. Chandigarh 70.43 75.74 63.15 73.44 77.42 68.15
26. Dadra & Nagar Haveli 18.12 26.79 9.50 31.24 42.44 19.69
27. Delhi 65.08 72.05 55.56 69.93 76.99 61.01
28. Goa, Daman & Diu 51.48 62.61 40.27 63.12 73.13 52.93
29. Lakshadweep 51.76 67.33 36.03 63.96 75.79 51.84
30. Mizoram * * * 69.90 74.77 64.53
31. Pondicherry 53.38 66.50 40.14 63.17 74.47 51.90
INDIA 34.45 45.95 21.97 41.44 53.48 28.47
*In case of Mizoram these are shown against Assam for 1971.
+Figures not yet published by R.G.India.
Source : Census of India 1971, 1981 Social & Cultural Tables.
Excludes Assam for 1981,
47
TABLE No. 2.3
Literacy position of different age-groups and by sex in 1971 and 1981-India
1971
Age-Group Literates Illiterates
Persons Male Female Persons Male Female
1 2 3 4 5 7
5-9 189.79 114.66 75.04 630.34 307.50 322.84
(23.13) (27.16) (18.86) (76.87) (72.84) (81.14)
10-14 341.29 218.15 123.14 346.45 145.77 199.68
(491.62) (59.78) (38.15) (50.38) (40.22) (61.85)
15-24 436.50 290.78 145.72 469.19 177.17 292.02
(48.19) (62.14) (33.29) (51.81) (37.86) (66.71)
25-34 267.86 193.85 74.01 502.18 192.75 309.43
(34.79) (50.14) (19.30) (65.21) (49.86) (80.70)
35+ 378.42 302.76 75.64 1122.93 493.54 629.39
(25.21) (38.02) (10.73) (74.79) (61.98) (89.27)
Age not stated 0.35 0.22 0.13 0.81 0.34 0.47
(30.17) (39.29) 21.67) (69.83) (60.71) (78.33)
Total (excluding 0.4 age group) 1614.15 1120.44 493.71 3071.88 1318.05 1753.83
(34.45) (45.95) (21.97) (65.55) (54.05) (78.03)
Figures in parentheses indicate percentage to the corresponding Population.
Source : Literacy Statistics at a glance, Directorate of Adult Education for 1971 and Census of India 1981-Series-India
Part II-Special reports of Tables based on 5% sample, data.
Excludes Assam in 1984.