page_title: Education in Uttar Pradesh
section_title: Post-independence
hierarchical_section_title: Education in Uttar Pradesh / History / Post-independence
caption_attribution_description: English: Statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the founder of BHU at main entrance gate of BHU.
context_page_description: The region of Uttar Pradesh had a long tradition of learning, although it had remained mostly confined to the elite class and the religious establishment.
context_section_description: After independence, the state of U.P. has continued to make investment over the years in all sectors of education and has achieved significant success in overcoming general educational backwardness and illiteracy. The increase in overall literacy rate is due to persistent multi-pronged efforts made by the state government: to enrol and retain children, specially of weaker sections, in schools; to effectively implement the adult education programmes; and to establish centres of higher education. As a result, U.P. is ranked amongst the first few States to have successfully implemented the Education For All policy. The following is indicative of the gradual progress:
  In 1981, the literacy rate in U.P. was 28% and it increased to 42% in 1991. In 1991, the adult literacy rate (per cent literates among those aged 15 and above) was 38% and increased to 49% in 1998, an increase of 11 per centage in the seven-year period. But, the differential between female and male literacy remained high: while in 1991, male literacy was 56% and female literacy 25%, eight years later in 1999, as per survey estimates, the male literacy became 73% and female literacy 43% (NFHS II).
  One more notable feature in the state has been the persistence of higher levels of illiteracy in the younger age group, more so in females, especially in the rural areas. In the late 1980s, the incidence of illiteracy in the 10–14 age group was as high as 32% for rural males and 61% for rural females; and more than two-thirds of all rural girls in the 12–14 age group never went to school. Only 25% of the girls in 7+ age group were able to read and write in 1991 and this figure went down to 19% for rural areas: it was 11% for the scheduled castes, 8% for scheduled castes in rural areas and 8% for the entire rural population in the most educationally backward districts. In terms of completion of basic or essential educational attainment (the primary or the secondary education), in 1992–1993, only 50% of literate males and 40% of literate females could complete the cycle of eight years of schooling (the primary and middle stages). Possibly, Bihar is the only state in India which lags behind U.P. in education.
  The problems of state's education system are complex. Due to public apathy the public schools are run inefficiently. Privately run schools (including those run by Christian missionaries) are functional, but expensive and so beyond the reach of ordinary people.
  In order to make the population totally literate, steps are being taken by the government to involve public participation, including the help of NGOs and other organisations. There are also special programmes, like the World Bank aided DPEP. As a result, progress in adult education has been made and the census of 2001 indicates a male literacy rate of 70.23% and a female literacy rate of 42.98%.
  Presently, there are 866,361 primary schools, 8,459 higher secondary schools, 758 degree colleges and 26 universities in the state. Some of the oldest educational institutions – founded by the British, the pioneer educationalists and other social/religious reformers – are still functional. In addition, a number of highly competitive ivy league centres of higher or technical education have been established since Independence.
caption: Statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya at the entrance of Banaras Hindu University, established 1916
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