MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI ARJUN SINGH)
(a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF THE
LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 172 TO BE ANSWERED ON
15.3.2005 ASKED BY SHRI THAWARCHAND GEHLOT AND PROF. VIJAY
KUMAR MALHOTRA, MPs REGARDING ILLITERACY RATE
(a): As per Census 2001, there were 30.41 crore non-
literates in 7+ age-group in the country.
(b) & (c): The Universalisation of Elementary Education
and eradication of adult illiteracy form the two-pronged
strategy for improving the literacy rate of the country.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a comprehensive programme for
universalizing quality Elementary Education. The goals of
SSA are :
· All children in School, Education Guarantee Centre, Alternate School, ‘Back-to-School’ camp by 2003.
· All children complete five years of primary schooling by 2007.
· All children complete eight years of elementary schooling by 2010.
· Focus on elementary education of satisfactory quality with emphasis on education for life.
· Bridge all gender and social category gaps at primary stage by 2007and at elementary education level by 2010.
· Universal retention by 2010.
The National Literacy Mission (NLM) is
also entrusted with the task of eradication of adult
illiteracy in the country. The target of NLM is to achieve
a sustainable 75% literacy rate by 2007. The thrust areas
of NLM are improving female literacy in low female literacy
areas, organizing projects for residual illiteracy in
districts which have substantial number of illiterates,
setting up of continuing education centres for providing
opportunities for life-long learning to the neo-literates
and imparting vocational training to neo-literates through
Jan Shikshan Sansthans.
(d): The State-wise number of non-literates in 7+ age-group, as per Census 2001, is enclosed as Annexure.
(e) & (f): The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was launched in the
year 2001-02 and covers all the States and Union Territories
except Goa so far. The programme targets all children in
the age group of 6-14. The Goals of SSA are being
implemented in a mission mode in partnership with the State
Governments and UT administrations.
Annexure
Statement indicating the number of illiterate persons (7+) in the country as per Census 2001, State-wise,
Sl. State Illiterate
No. persons
1. Andhra Pradesh 26,103,827
2. Arunachal Pradesh 407,312
3. Assam 8,142,099
4. Bihar 35,082,869
5. Chhattisgarh 6,105,738
6. Delhi 2,168,894
7 Goa 216,138
8. Gujarat 13,310,863
9. Haryana 5,715,350
10. Himachal Pradesh 1,243,142
11. Jammu & Kashmir 3,850,611
12. Jharkhand 10,211,801
13. Karnataka 15,233,500
14. Kerala 2,562,540
15. Madhya Pradesh 17,973,246
16. Maharashtra 19,241,558
17. Manipur 547,669
18. Meghalaya 692,968
19. Mizoram 83,394
20. Nagaland 568,035
21. Orissa 11,608,795
22. Punjab 6,430,200
23. Rajasthan 18,154,176
24. Sikkim 144,321
25. Tamil Nadu 14,645,974
26. Tripura 740,658
27. Uttaranchal 2,023,535
28. Uttar Pradesh 58,854,009
29. West Bengal 21,565,574
30. A & N Islands 58,236
31. Chandigarh 141,777
32. D & N Haveli 76,387
33. Daman & Diu 30,026
34. Lakshadweep 6,876
35. Pondicherry 160,819
Total: 304,102,917
