At 96.2%, Kerala tops India's literacy rate chart again; Andhra Pradesh ranks lowest with 66.4%

New Delhi: With 96.2 percent literacy, Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country, while Andhra Pradesh featured at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 percent, showed a report based on National Statistical Office (NSO) survey. The report on ‘Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of the 75th round of National Sample Survey – from July 2017 to June 2018’ provides for state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above. According to the study, after Kerala, Delhi has the best literacy rate at 88.7 percent, followed by Uttarkhand’s 87.6 percent, Himachal Pradesh’s 86.6 percent, and Assam’s at 85.9 percent. On the other hand, Rajasthan is the second-worst performer with a literacy rate at 69.7 percent, followed by Bihar at 70.9 percent, Telangana at 72.8 percent, Uttar Pradesh at 73 percent, and Madhya Pradesh at 73.7 percent. The study has pegged the overall literacy rate in the country at about 77.7 percent. In rural areas, the literacy rate is 73.5 percent compared to 87.7 percent in urban areas of the country. At the all-India level, the male literacy rate is higher at 84.7 percent compared to 70.3 percent among women. The survey showed that the male literacy rate is higher than the female literacy rate among all states. In Kerala, the male literacy rate is 97.4 percent compared to 95.2 percent among females.

World literacy day, Kerala once again tops national literacy survey at 96.2%. National average 76.36%. 98 yrs old Karthyayani amma a neo literate from Alappuzha spending hours on online classes of literacy mission youtube channel Aksharam has become the new icon of the movement. pic.twitter.com/KcziLXxFOb

— Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) September 8, 2020

Similarly, the male literacy rate in Delhi stood 93.7 percent higher than 82.4 percent among females. Even in the worst-performing states, there was a considerable gap in male and female literacy rate. In Andhra Pradesh, the male literacy rate is 73.4 percent, higher than 59.5 percent among females (of the age of seven years or above). In Rajasthan, the gap was even wider as the male literacy rate stood at 80.8 percent compared to 57.6 percent of females. In Bihar, the male literacy rate was also higher at 79.7 percent compared to 60.5 percent of females. A sample of 64,519 rural households from 8,097 villages and 49,238 urban households from 6,188 blocks was surveyed all-over India. The report also revealed that nearly 4 percent of rural households and 23 percent of urban households possessed computers. Among persons age 15-29 years, nearly 24 percent in rural areas and 56 percent in urban areas were able to operate a computer. Nearly 35 percent of persons age 15-29 years reported use of the internet during the 30 days prior to the date of the survey. The proportions were nearly 25 percent in rural areas and 58 percent in urban areas.