Lok Sabha Question No. 2219 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-05
Subject: Rural Literacy Rate
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. D. Purandeswari

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2219 ANSWERED ON 05.08.2024

## RURAL LITERACY RATE

2219. Smt. Daggubati Purandeswari:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of increase in rural literacy rate during the last five years;
- (b)  whether  the  Government's  initiatives  contributed  in  increase  in  rural  literacy  rate,  if  so,  the comparative analysis thereof;
- (c)  whether the  Government has any data on the gender gap in rural literacy during the last five years, and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the difficulties being faced in achieving 100% rural literacy, and the steps being taken by the Government in this regard especially in Andhra Pradesh?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d) As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Sample Survey Office  (NSSO),  Ministry  of  Statistics  &  Programme  Implementation,  the  rural  literacy  rate including gender gap during the last five years is depicted in the following table:

(in per cent)

| India                                                    | Gender                      |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |
|----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Rural Literacy Rate in last 5 years. (7 years and above) | Male                        |      81.9 |      82.2 |      83.2 |      83.5 |      83.6 |
| Rural Literacy Rate in last 5 years. (7 years and above) | Female                      |      65.7 |      66.3 |      67.7 |      68.9 |      70.3 |
| Rural Literacy Rate in last 5 years. (7 years and above) | Total                       |      73.9 |      74.3 |      75.6 |      76.3 |      77   |
| Rural Literacy Rate in last 5 years. (7 years and above) | Gender gap in literacy rate |      16.2 |      15.9 |      15.5 |      14.6 |      13.3 |

As  per  the  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  conducted  by  National  Sample  Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, the rural literacy has increased whereas gender gap has reduced in the last five years.

In order to improve the literacy rate including rural literacy rate among adults in the country Government  of  India  has  launched  many  schemes/programmes  from  time  to  time  like  Saakshar Bharat Abhiyan, Padhna Likhna Abhiyan and ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram/NILP.

The  Government  of  India  has  approved  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme  called  Nav  Bharat Saksharta Karyakram (NILP), popularly known as ULLAS: Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society from 1 st April, 2022. The scheme, aligned with NEP 2020, targets adults (aged 15 and above) who couldn't go to school and focuses on rural areas, educationally backward areas, women  etc.  With  continuous  efforts,  under  ULLAS,  more  than  77  lakh  learners  have  already appeared  in  the  Literacy  Test  named  Foundational  Literacy  and  Numeracy  Assessment  Test (FLNAT) from 28 States/UTs.

A large  number  of  population  with  multiple  languages  prevalent  in  the  country,  multiple culture  contexts,  and  unstructured  learning  arrangements  are  the  difficulties  faced  so  far  in achieving  100%  rural  literacy.  The  scheme  is  implemented  in  both  offline  &  online  mode, considering  the  above.  The  teaching  and  learning  is  done  by  volunteers  in  the  scheme.  Andhra Pradesh is also implementing the scheme ULLAS, however as yet, it has not conducted any FLNAT in the State.