LITERACY
For the purpose of census, a person is deemed as literate if he or she can read and write any lan- guage with understanding. In the 1991 census, the question on literacy was convassed for popula- tion aged seven years and above, unlike earlier censuses which took into account population of 5 years and above for this purpose.
In the post-Independence period literacy rate has shown substantial increase from about 18.33 per cent (of population aged 5 and above) in 1951 to 52.21 per cent (of population aged seven and above) (Table 9). The female literacy has also increased substantially from 8.86 per cent (of population aged 5 and above) in 1951 to 39.29 percent (of population aged 7 and above) in 1991. For the first time the number of literate persons in 1991 was more than the number of illiterates. The overall literacy rates for the period 1901-1991 are presented in table 9. While there has been a gradual increase in the literacy rate, male-female and rural-urban disparities have persisted (Figure 15).
Literacy In States/UTs :
SC/ST Literacy :The magnitude of unfinished task is large particularly in respect of rural female literacy. While some districts have crossed the 90 per cent mark, the others show practical illiteracy. Barmer dis- trict of Rajasthan with 4.2 per cent rural female literacy is an illustration.
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EDUCATION FOR ALL
Table 9
Literacy Rates
1901 to 1991
(in percentage)
Year Age Group Person Male Female Rural Urban
1901+ All Population 5.39 9.83 0.60 -
1911+ All Population 5.92 10.56 1.05 -
1921+ All Population 7.16 12.21 1.81 -
1931+ All Population 9.50 15.59 2.93 -
1941+ All Population 16.10 24.90 7.30 - -
1951 5 and above 18.33 27.16 8.86 12.10 34.59
1961 5 and above 28.30 40.39 15.33 22.46 54.43
1971 5 and above 34.45 45.95 21.97 27.89 60.22
1981 7 and above 43.67 56.50 29.85 36.09 67.34
1991 7 and above 52.21 64.13 39.29 44.69 73.09
+ For undivided India
- Not available
Note The 1981 rates exclude Assam where the 1981 Census could not be conducted. The 1991 Census rates exclude Jammu &
Kashmir where the 1991 Census is yet to be conducted.
Source A Hand Book of Population Statistics, Census of India, New Delhi, 1988
Census of India, 1991, Series-1, Paper-2, 1992, Final Population Totals, New Delhi, 1993
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EDUCATION FOR ALL
Table 10
Statewise Literacy Rates
1981 and 1991
State/Union Territory Percentage of Literates (Aged 7 Years and Above)
1981 1991
Person Male Female Person Male Female
INDIA* 43.67 56.50 29.85 52.21 64.13 39.29
Andhra Pradesh 35.66 46.83 24.16 44.09 55.13 32.72
Arunachal Pradesh 25.55 35.12 14.02 41.59 51.45 29.69
Assam - - - 52.89 61.87 43.03
Bihar 32.05 46.60 16.52 38.48 52.49 22.89
Goa 65.71 76.01 55.17 75.51 83.64 67.09
Gujarat 52.21 65.14 38.46 61.29 73.13 48.64
Haryana 43.88 58.51 26.93 55.85 69.10 40.47
Himachal Pradesh 51.18 64.27 37.72 63.86 75.36 52.13
Jammu & Kashmir 32.68 44.18 19.55 - - -
Karnataka 46.21 58.73 33.17 56.04 67.26 44.34
Kerala 81.56 87.73 75.65 89.81 93.62 86.17
Madhya Pradesh 34.23 48.42 19.00 44.20 58.42 28.85
Maharashtra 55.83 69.65 41.01 64.87 76.56 52.32
Manipur 49.66 64.15 34.67 59.89 71.63 47.60
Meghalaya 42.05 46.65 37.17 49.10 53.12 44.85
Mizoram 74.26 79.36 68.61 82.27 85.61 78.60
Nagaland 50.28 58.58 40.39 61.65 67.62 54.75
Orissa 40.97 56.45 25.14 49.09 63.09 34.68
Punjab 48.17 55.56 39.70 58.51 65.66 50.41
Rajasthan 30.11 44.77 14.00 38.55 54.99 20.44
Sikkim 41.59 53.00 27.38 56.94 65.74 46.69
Tamil Nadu 54.39 68.05 40.43 62.66 73.75 51.33
Tripura 50.11 61.49 38.01 60.44 70.58 49.65
Uttar Pradesh 33.35 47.45 17.19 41.60 55.73 25.31
West Bengal 48.65 59.93 36.07 57.70 67.81 46.56
Andaman & Nicobar Is. 63.19 70.29 53.19 73.02 78.99 65.46
Chandigarh 74.81 78.89 69.31 77.81 82.04 72.34
Dadra & Nagar Haveli 32.70 44.64 20.37 40.71 53.56 26.98
Daman & Diu 59.91 74.47 46.50 71.20 82.66 59.40
Delhi 71.94 79.28 62.60 75.29 82.01 66.99
Lakshadweep 68.42 81.24 55.32 81.78 90.18 72.89
Pondicherry 65.14 77.09 53.03 74.74 83.68 65.63
- Not available
* Literacy rates for 1981 exclude Assam where the 1981 Census could not be held and the literacy rates for 1991 exclude Jammu &
Kashmir where the 1991 Census is yet to be conducted. The literacy rates for India for 1981 and 1991, excluding Assam and Jammu
& Kashmir works out as under
Source: Census of India, 1991, Series-1, Paper-2, 1992, Final Population Totals, New Delhi, 1993
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EDUCATION FOR ALL
Table 11
Statewise Rural-Urban Literacy Rates
1991
State/Union Territory Percentage of Literates (7 Years and Above)
Rural Urban
Person Male Female Person Male Female
INDIA 44.69 57.87 30.62 73.08 81.09 64.05
Andhra Pradesh 35.74 47.28 23.92 66.35 75.87 56.41
Arunachal Pradesh 37.02 47.00 25.31 71.59 77.99 62.23
Assam 49.32 58.66 39.19 79.39 84.37 73.32
Bihar 33.83 48.31 17.95 67.89 77.72 55.94
Goa 72.31 81.71 62.87 80.10 86.33 73.38
Gujarat 53.09 66.84 38.65 76.54 84.56 67.70
Haryana 49.85 64.78 32.51 73.66 81.96 64.06
Himachal Pradesh 61.86 73.89 49.79 84.17 88.97 78.32
Jammu & Kashmir - - - - - -
Karnataka 47.69 60.30 34.76 74.20 82.04 65.74
Kerala 88.92 92.91 85.12 92.25 95.58 89.06
Madhya Pradesh 35.87 51.04 19.73 70.81 81.32 58.92
Maharashtra 55.52 69.74 40.96 79.20 86.41 70.87
Manipur 55.79 67.64 43.26 70.53 82.11 58.67
Meghalaya 41.05 44.83 37.12 81.74 85.72 77.32
Mizoram 72.47 77.36 67.03 93.45 95.15 91.61
Nagaland 57.23 63.42 50.36 83.10 85.94 79.10
Orissa 45.46 60.00 30.79 71.99 81.21 61.18
Punjab 52.77 60.71 43.85 72.08 77.26 66.12
Rajasthan 30.37 47.64 11.59 65.33 78.50 50.24
Sikkim 54.38 63.49 43.98 80.89 85.19 74.94
Tamil Nadu 54.59 67.18 41.84 77.99 86.06 69.61
Tripura 56.08 67.07 44.33 83.09 89.00 76.93
Uttar Pradesh 36.66 52.05 19.02 61.00 69.98 50.38
West Bengal 50.50 62.05 38.12 75.27 81.19 68.25
Andaman & Nicobar Is. 69.73 75.99 61.99 81.69 86.59 75.08
Chandigarh 59 12 65.67 47.83 79.87 84.09 74.57
Dadra & Nagar Haveli 37.00 50.04 23.30 78.44 86.35 68.42
Daman & Diu 61.55 75.23 46.70 81.61 91.14 72.35
Delhi 66.90 78.46 52.15 76.18 82.39 68.54
Lakshadweep 78.89 88.66 68.72 83.99 91.31 76.11
Pondicherry 65.36 76.44 53.96 79.88 87.70 71.98
- Data not available
Source: Census of India 1991, Series 1, Paper 2, 1992, Final Population Totals, New Delhi, 1993
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EDUCATION FOR ALL
Table 12
Statewise Scheduled Castes Literacy Rates
1991
Percentage of Literates 7 Years and Above
State/Union Territory Total SC Population Rural SC Population Urban SC Population
Person Male Female Person Male Female Person Male Female
INDIA 37.41 49.91 23.76 33.25 45.95 19.46 55.11 66.60 42.29
Andhra Pradesh 31.59 41.88 20.92 26.80 37.02 16.19 54.10 64.88 43.04
Arunachal Pradesh 57.27 66.25 41.42 55.29 65.02 37.25 61.99 69.39 50.40
Assam 53.94 63.88 42.99 51.95 62.19 40.72 65.71 73.72 56.66
Bihar 19.49 30.64 7.07 17.49 28.30 5.54 39.23 52.74 22.90
Goa 58.73 69.55 47.51 56.05 67.67 43.94 61.76 71.69 51.53
Gujarat 61.07 75.47 45.54 55.59 71.21 38.96 70.06 82.35 56.53
Haryana 39.22 52.06 24.15 37.67 50.62 22.48 46.42 58.69 31.89
Himachal Pradesh 53.20 64.98 41.02 52.00 63.95 39.78 70.32 78.87 60.16
Jammu & Kashmir * * * * * * * * *
Karnataka 38.06 49.69 25.95 31.42 43.21 19.23 59.18 70.05 47.64
Kerala 79.66 85.22 74.31 78.55 84.22 73.09 84.47 89.56 79.60
Madhya Pradesh 35.08 50.51 18.11 30.22 45.70 13.30 52.26 67.29 35.38
Maharashtra 56.46 70.45 41.59 50.27 65.86 33.99 67.07 78.17 54.94
Manipur 56.44 65.28 47.41 56.69 65.43 47.52 56.22 65.14 47.32
Meghalaya 44.27 54.56 31.19 37.11 47.28 24.35 53.05 63.34 39.70
Mizoram 77.92 77.54 81.25 75.76 74.81 85.00 82.30 83.24 75.00
Nagaland - - - - - - - - -
Orissa 36.78 52.42 20.74 35.45 51.22 19.39 47.80 62.10 32.30
Punjab 41.09 49.82 31.03 39.55 48.54 29.20 47.04 54.76 38.14
Rajasthan 26.29 42.38 8.31 22.06 37.63 4.73 43.35 61.37 22.88
Sikkim 51.03 58.69 42.77 47.53 55.28 39.13 76.58 84.20 68.70
Tamil Nadu 46.74 58.36 34.89 42.50 54.47 30.30 62.24 72.58 51.68
Tripura 56.66 67.25 45.45 55.24 66.07 43.69 64.06 73.43 54.40
Uttar Pradesh 26.85 40.80 10.69 24.76 38.87 8.47 42.30 54.79 27.36
West Bengal 42.21 54.55 28.87 39.98 52.72 26.32 53.98 63.90 42.71
Andaman & Nicobar Is.
Chandigarh 55.44 64.74 43.54 48.57 57.55 35.79 56.48 65.88 44.63
Dadra & Nagar Haveli 77.64 88.03 66.61 77.17 87.42 66.52 79.90 90.74 67.03
Daman & Diu 79.18 91.85 67.62 82.22 94.32 71.48 74.29 88.02 61.15
Delhi 57.60 68.77 43.82 55.50 68.99 38.50 57.86 68.74 44.49
Lakshadweep - - - - - - - -
Pondicherry 56.26 66.10 46.28 50.07 60.07 39.94 65.05 74.67 55.30
- No S.C. Population
* Census could not be conducted in Jammu & Kashmir
Source: Computed on the basis of Census of India 1991, Union Primary Census Abstract Scheduled Castes, 1993