Female Literacy

On account of comparatively low female literacy rate among the disadvantaged groups including Muslims, a target focused approach to enhance female literacy among Muslim adults under the name of Maulana Azad Taleeme-e-Balighan has been initiated since February, 2014. 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 impeding 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. In order to improve female literacy rate in the country, Government has been implementing Saakshar Bharat programme since October, 2009 in rural areas of all the districts that had adult female literacy rate of 50% and below as per Census, 2001, including left wing extremism affected districts, irrespective of their literacy rate. The scheme has a target of 70 million adult non-literates, including 60 million women, with special thrust on disadvantaged groups. In addition, Government is implementing the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 for universalisation of elementary education for all children in the age group of 6-14 years. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has targeted interventions for girls that includes opening of schools in the neighbourhood, appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, free textbooks, free uniforms, separate toilets for girls, teachers’ sensitisation programmes, gender-sensitive teaching-learning materials, etc. In addition Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) has 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.