Lok Sabha Question No. 1573 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-29
Subject: Female Literacy
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RENUKA BUTTA, RAYAPATI SAMBASIVA RAO, KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

**LOK SABHA**

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1573

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.7.2015

**Female Literacy**

1573. 	SHRIMATI BUTTA RENUKA:

SHRI RAYAPATI SAMBASIVA RAO:

KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the female literacy in various States is significantly low;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) the details of schemes/programmes run by the Government to improve the female literacy in the country;

(d) whether funds earmarked for setting up of Educational complexes in low literacy pockets for the improvement of literacy among women were sanctioned for projects in districts which were not part of the identified districts;

(e) if so, the reasons therefor along with the details of the identified districts for which the projects were sanctioned; and

(f) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to address the issue?

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT**

**(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)**

(a) & (b) As per Census, 2011 the female literacy rate is lower than the national average female literacy rate in ten States and one Union Territory namely, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. Various factors viz. poverty, gender and social inequities, etc. are responsible for low female literacy in the country. A statement indicating State/UT-wise and gender-wise literacy rate in the country as per Census, 2011 is annexed.

(c) In order to improve the female literacy rate in the country, Government is implementing Saakshar Bharat programme for adults since October, 2009. The programme is being implemented in the rural areas of all the districts that had adult female literacy rate of 50% and below as per Census, 2001, and in left wing extremism affected districts, irrespective of their literacy rate with special focus on women and other disadvantaged groups.

In order to ensure greater participation of girls in elementary education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has targeted interventions for girls which include opening of schools in the neighbourhood to make access easier for girls, appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, separate toilets for girls, teachers’ sensitization programme to promote girls participation, gender sensitive teaching learning materials including textbooks. In addition, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas have been opened in Educationally Backward Blocks where the female rural literacy is below the national average to provide for residential upper primary schools for girls.

Mahila Samakhya (MS) is an ongoing scheme for women’s empowerment that was initiated in 1989 to translate the goals of the National Policy on Education into a concrete programme for the education and empowerment of women in rural areas, particularly those from socially and economically marginalized groups. Currently the programme is being implemented in 130 districts of eleven States *viz.* Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

(d) No Madam.

(e) & (f) Does not arise.

***

**Annexure**

**STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1573 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.7.2015 ASKED BY SHRIMATI BUTTA RENUKA, SHRI RAYAPATI SAMBASIVA RAO AND KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL REGARDING “FEMALE LITERACY”.**

## 

## Literacy rate in the country, as per the Census 2011

## 

| **S. No.**   | **Name of States / UTs**   | **Literacy Rate**   |           |            |
|--------------|----------------------------|---------------------|-----------|------------|
|              |                            | **Persons**         | **Male**  | **Female** |
|              | **India**                  | **72.98**           | **80.88** | **64.63**  |
|              | Andhra Pradesh             | 67.02               | 74.88     | 59.15      |
|              | Arunachal Pradesh          | 65.38               | 72.55     | 57.70      |
|              | Assam                      | 72.19               | 77.85     | 66.27      |
|              | Bihar                      | 61.80               | 71.20     | 51.50      |
|              | Chhattisgarh               | 70.28               | 80.27     | 60.24      |
|              | Goa                        | 88.70               | 92.65     | 84.66      |
|              | Gujarat                    | 78.03               | 85.75     | 69.68      |
|              | Haryana                    | 75.55               | 84.06     | 65.94      |
|              | Himachal Pradesh           | 82.80               | 89.53     | 75.93      |
|              | Jammu & Kashmir            | 67.16               | 76.75     | 56.43      |
|              | Jharkhand                  | 66.41               | 76.84     | 55.42      |
|              | Karnataka                  | 75.36               | 82.47     | 68.08      |
|              | Kerala                     | 94.00               | 96.11     | 92.07      |
|              | Madhya Pradesh             | 69.32               | 78.73     | 59.24      |
|              | Maharashtra                | 82.34               | 88.38     | 75.87      |
|              | Manipur                    | 76.94               | 83.58     | 70.26      |
|              | Meghalaya                  | 74.43               | 75.95     | 72.89      |
|              | Mizoram                    | 91.33               | 93.35     | 89.27      |
|              | Nagaland                   | 79.55               | 82.75     | 76.11      |
|              | Odisha                     | 72.87               | 81.59     | 64.01      |
|              | Punjab                     | 75.84               | 80.44     | 70.73      |
|              | Rajasthan                  | 66.11               | 79.19     | 52.12      |
|              | Sikkim                     | 81.42               | 86.55     | 75.61      |
|              | Tamil Nadu                 | 80.09               | 86.77     | 73.44      |
|              | Tripura                    | 87.22               | 91.53     | 82.73      |
|              | Uttar Pradesh              | 67.68               | 77.28     | 57.18      |
|              | Uttarakhand                | 78.82               | 87.40     | 70.01      |
|              | West Bengal                | 76.26               | 81.69     | 70.54      |
|              | A & N Islands              | 86.63               | 90.27     | 82.43      |
|              | Chandigarh                 | 86.05               | 89.99     | 81.19      |
|              | D & N Haveli               | 76.24               | 85.17     | 64.32      |
|              | Daman & Diu                | 87.10               | 91.54     | 79.55      |
|              | Lakshadweep                | 91.85               | 95.56     | 87.95      |
|              | NCT of Delhi               | 86.21               | 90.94     | 80.76      |
|              | Puducherry                 | 85.85               | 91.26     | 80.67      |

***