Lok Sabha Question No. 1899 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-13
Subject: Low Literacy Rate in Rural Areas
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Rajeshbhai Naranbhai Chudasama

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1899

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2023

## LOW LITERACY RATE IN RURAL AREAS

## 1899. SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that the literacy rate in rural areas across the country is lower than in urban areas;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has prepared any action plan to bring this rate at a uniform level in all regions; and
- (d) if so, the outlines of that action plan and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

- (a) &  (b)  :  As  per  Census  2011,  the  literacy  rate  in  rural  areas  across  the country  is  67.77%  (Male  :  77.15%  and  Female  :  57.93%)  compared  to  the urban literacy rate of 84.11% (Male : 88.76% and Female : 79.11%).
- (c) & (d) : In order to address the issue of illiteracy, the Department of School Education and Literacy has launched the Samagra Shiksha in school education system as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with effect from Financial Year 201819.  It  envisages  the  'school'  as  a  continuum  from  pre-school,  primary,  upper primary, secondary to senior secondary levels. The States/UTs are assisted by the central government to implement the Samagra Shiksha as a programme for providing   universal   access  and  retention,  bridging  the  gender  and   social

category gaps in education and enhancement of learning level of children at all levels  of  school  education.  The  Scheme  is  in  accordance  with  Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for Education and has now been aligned  with  the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that is to ensure inclusive and equitable, quality and holistic school education. The scheme was initially approved from 2018-19 to 2020-21 and has now been revised and extended upto 2025-26.

In order to improve the literacy rate among adults in the country, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Adult Education namely Saakshar Bharat was implemented in the rural areas of 404 districts in 26 States and one UT, that had adult  female  literacy  rate  of  50  percent  and  below  as  per  Census  2001, including  left  wing  extremism  affected  districts,  irrespective  of  their  literacy rates, with special focus on women and other disadvantaged groups. The target was to raise the overall literacy rate of the country to 80 per cent and reduce gender gap to 10 percentage point by end of XII five year plan. The Scheme was extended upto 31.03.2018. During the implementation of Saakshar Bharat scheme, against the overall target of making 7.00 crore  adult non-literates as literates,  around  7.64  crore  learners  who  passed  the  biannual  Basic  Literacy Assessment Tests conducted by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) between August, 2010 to March, 2018, were certified as literates.

Subsequently,  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Adult  Education  'Padhna Likhna Abhiyaan' was implemented in the Country during the financial year 2020-21, with a target of making 48.16 lakh adult non-literates as literates. The Scheme was extended upto 31.03.2022.

The Union of India has approved a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme, namely, 'New India Literacy Programme (NILP)' to align with the National Education Policy 2020 and to support all the States and Union Territories in promoting literacy  among  non-literates  across  the  country  covering  5.00  crore  nonliterates  under  Foundational  Literacy  and  Numeracy  of  the  scheme  with  a financial outlay of Rs.1037.90 crore including Central share of Rs.700.00 crore and  State  share  of  Rs.337.90  crore  during  the  implementation  period  from 2022-23 to 2026-27.

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