Literacy rate at 71 pc in rural India, 86 pc in urban: survey

Literacy rate in rural areas was pegged at 71 per cent last year, compared to 86 per cent in urban areas, while among the age group of seven years and above, male literacy rate was found higher than the female literacy rate, according to NSSO survey released today.
Among the age group of seven year and above, the male literacy rate was registered at 83 per cent vis-a-vis the female literacy rate of 67 per cent, an official statement said.
"Similarly, it was found in the rural areas, nearly 4.5 per cent of males and 2.2 per cent of females completed education level of graduation and above, while in urban areas 17 per cent of males and 13 per cent of females completed this level of education," it added.

The details are part of a survey on 'Social Consumption: Education' during the National Sample Survey (NSS) 71st Round, January to June 2014, conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The survey covered entire country with samples taken from 36,479 households in rural areas and 29,447 in urban areas from 4,577 villages and 3,720 urban blocks, it said.
According to its findings, literacy rate among age group of seven years and above in the country was 75 per cent. In rural areas, it was 71 per cent compared to 86 per cent in urban areas.

Adult literacy (age 15 years and above) rate in India was around 71 per cent. For adults also, literacy rate in rural areas was lower than that in urban areas. In rural areas, adult literacy rate was 64 per cent compared to 84 per cent in urban areas.

"No significant difference between rural and urban India existed in terms of distance for physical access to primary schooling. In both rural and urban areas, nearly 99 per cent households reported availability of primary school within 2 kms from the house," the survey said.
For accessing educational institutions providing higher level of learning, say upper primary or secondary, a lower proportion of households in rural areas compared to that in urban areas reported existence of such facilities within 2 kms, it added.

Nearly 86 per cent of rural households and 96 per cent of urban households reported upper primary schools within a distance of 2 kms from the house while nearly 60 per cent of rural households and 91 per cent of urban households reported secondary schools at such a distance, it revealed.
The proportion of persons having completed higher level of education, say, graduation and above, was more in the urban areas than in the rural areas.
In the rural areas, nearly 4.5 per cent of males and 2.2 per cent of females completed education level of graduation and above, while in the urban areas 17 per cent of males and 13 per cent of females completed this level of education.