Lok Sabha Question No. 7 (STARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Literacy Rate
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Mrs Ruchi Vira

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 7

ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## LITERACY RATE

## †*7.  Mrs Ruchi Vira:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the average literacy rate of Uttar Pradesh is seventy-six per cent whereas the average literacy rate in Moradabad Lok Sabha Constituency is sixty-three per cent out of which the literacy rate of women is merely forty-seven per cent;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  details  of  various  schemes  being  run  by  the Government to facilitate the Right to Education of women in the country; and

(c) the details of steps taken by the Government to increase the literacy rate of women during the last ten years and the current year?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 7 ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025 ASKED BY SMT. RUCHI VIRA, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING 'LITERACY RATE'

(a) :   As per Census 2011, the literacy rate of Uttar Pradesh was 67.68 percent whereas the average literacy rate in Moradabad district was 56.77 percent in which the literacy rate of women was 47.86 percent.    As  per  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  conducted  by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2023-24, the literacy rate of Uttar Pradesh is 78.2 percent in which literacy rate of women in Uttar Pradesh is 70.4 percent.

(b) and (c): The Right to Education in India, as provisioned under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, ensures that all children aged 6-14 years, including girls, have access to free and compulsory education.  The Department of School  Education  &  Literacy  is  implementing  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  Samagra Shiksha in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, to provide quality education  from  early  childhood  care  and  education  (ECCE)  to  Class  12.  The  scheme emphasizes  equitable  access  and  an  inclusive  classroom  environment  for  all  children including girls.

Additionally, the PM POSHAN scheme supports children nutritional needs by providing hot cooked  meals  to  students  from  pre-primary  to  Class  VIII,  thereby  encouraging  school attendance and learning outcomes. These measures collectively strengthen the educational framework and uphold the  right  to  education  for  every  child,  including  girls  which  has contributed for betterment of school education including women literacy across the country.

Further,  in  order  to  improve  the  literacy  rate  among  adults,  including  women,  in  the country,  various  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  (CSS)  for  Adult  Education  have  been implemented  like  Saakshar  Bharat,  Padhna  Likhna  Abhiyan  and  ULLAS-  Nav  Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, in last 10 years.

Saakshar Bharat : The scheme was implemented from 2009 to 2018 in 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, with special focus on women and other disadvantaged groups. During the implementation of Saakshar Bharat scheme, around 7.64 crore learners were certified as literates.

Padhna  Likhna  Abhiyan :  A  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Adult  Education  'Padhna Likhna Abhiyan' was implemented in the Country during the financial  year 2020-22, in which around 48.16 lakh were made literate.

Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society(ULLAS)Nav  Bharat Saaksharta  Karyakram :    The  Government  of  India  is  implementing  the  Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), namely, 'New India Literacy Programme (NILP)' to align with the National Education Policy 2020, from 2022-2027 to support all the States and Union Territories in promoting literacy among non-literates across the country. The scheme focuses on rural areas, educationally backward areas, women and other vulnerable communities etc.

The scheme is implemented in a hybrid mode, allowing States/UTs the flexibility to adopt  offline  or  online  mode  focusing  on  imparting  foundational  literacy  and  numeracy including critical life skills, digital & financial literacy. ULLAS works with the  vision of making Bharat 'Jan Jan Saakshar', driven by Kartavyabodh (a sense of duty), utilising school platforms and community engagement through volunteerism to achieve full literacy.

Till date, more than 1.7 crore learners, including 1.2 crore women, have appeared in the Literacy Test - Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) across the country. Four States/UT namely Ladakh, Mizoram, Goa and Tripura have become fully literate under ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram.

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