Lok Sabha Question No. 100 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Low Literacy Rate
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 100

## ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## LOW LITERACY RATE

## 100. Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of literacy rate in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details of reasons behind low literacy rate in the country;
- (c) whether the Government has any proposal to attain 100 per cent literacy in the country within fixed timeframe and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if not, the reasons for not implementing a dream project to attain 100 per cent literacy in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) : As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), Annual Report 2023-24 conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, the latest literacy rate in the age group of 7 years and above is 80.9%. A table indicating literacy rate in the country, State/UT-wise, based on PLFS Report is placed at Annexure - I. Various factors viz. poverty, gender and social inequalities etc. impact the literacy in the country.
- (c)  &  (d)  :  The  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020  refers  to  Adult  Education  and  Lifelong Learning at para 21.4, which states that :

'Strong and innovative government initiatives for adult education in particular, to facilitate community involvement and the smooth and beneficial integration of technology - will be affected as soon as possible to expedite this all important aim of achieving 100% literacy'.

Coupled with these recommendations of NEP-2020  on Adult Education, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.6 of the United Nations mandates that: 'By 2030 ensure that all youth and adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy'.

Towards  this  purpose,  Government  of  India  is  implementing  ULLAS:  Nav  Bharat  Saaksharta Karyakram from 2022 to 2027. The scheme aligned with the NEP 2020, targets adults (aged 15 and above) who missed formal education with a particular focus on rural areas, educationally backward areas, women etc.

For  India,  Full  Literacy  has  been  defined  as  the  ability  to  read,  write,  and  compute  with comprehension, i.e. to identify, understand, interpret and create, along with critical life skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy, etc.  This definition is in line with the international definition of Literacy by UNESCO. A State/UT is declared as Fully Literate upon attaining at least 95% literacy. Four  States/UT  namely  Ladakh,  Mizoram,  Goa,  and  Tripura  have  become  fully  literate  under ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.

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## Annexure-I

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 100 FOR 21.07.2025 ASKED BY SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL, HON'BLE MP REGARDING 'LOW LITERACY RATE'.

State/UT literacy rate  (in  per  cent)  in  the  country  in  the  age  group  of  7  and  above,  as  per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), Annual Report 2023-24 conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

| Sl. No.   | States/UT                       |   Age-group (Years) 7 &above |
|-----------|---------------------------------|------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh                  |                         72.6 |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh               |                         84.2 |
| 3.        | Assam                           |                         87   |
| 4.        | Bihar                           |                         74.3 |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh                    |                         78.5 |
| 6.        | Delhi                           |                         86.9 |
| 7.        | Goa                             |                         93.6 |
| 8.        | Gujarat                         |                         84.6 |
| 9.        | Haryana                         |                         84.8 |
| 10.       | Himachal Pradesh                |                         88.8 |
| 11.       | Jharkhand                       |                         76.7 |
| 12.       | Karnataka                       |                         82.7 |
| 13.       | Kerala                          |                         95.3 |
| 14.       | Madhya Pradesh                  |                         75.2 |
| 15.       | Maharashtra                     |                         87.3 |
| 16.       | Manipur                         |                         92   |
| 17.       | Meghalaya                       |                         94.2 |
| 18.       | Mizoram                         |                         98.2 |
| 19.       | Nagaland                        |                         95.7 |
| 20.       | Odisha                          |                         79   |
| 21.       | Punjab                          |                         83.4 |
| 22.       | Rajasthan                       |                         75.8 |
| 23.       | Sikkim                          |                         84.7 |
| 24.       | Tamil Nadu                      |                         85.5 |
| 25.       | Telangana                       |                         76.9 |
| 26.       | Tripura                         |                         93.7 |
| 27.       | Uttarakhand                     |                         83.8 |
| 28.       | Uttar Pradesh                   |                         78.2 |
| 29.       | West Bengal                     |                         82.6 |
| 30.       | Andaman &N. Island              |                         91.1 |
| 31.       | Chandigarh                      |                         93.7 |
| 32.       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli &Daman &Diu |                         87.8 |
| 33.       | Jammu &Kashmir                  |                         82   |
| 34.       | Ladakh                          |                         81   |
| 35.       | Lakshadweep                     |                         97.3 |
| 36.       | Puducherry                      |                         92.7 |
|           | All India                       |                         80.9 |