Literacy in India...!!!

Literacy in India is key for socio-economic progress, and the Indian literacy rate grew to 74.04% in 2011 from 12% at the end of British rule in 1947. According to the latest survey by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in June 2008, the literacy rate among the population with age 7 and above was 72% whereas the adult population (age 15 and above) had a literacy rate of 73%. Although this was a greater than fivefold improvement, the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84%, and India currently has the largest illiterate population of any nation on earth. Despite government programs, India's literacy rate increased only "sluggishly," and a 1990 study estimated that it would take until 2060 for India to achieve universal literacy at then-current rate of progress. The 2001 census, however, indicated a 1991-2001 decadal literacy growth of 12.63%, which is the fastest-ever on record.

There is a wide gender disparity in the literacy rate in India: adult (15+ years) literacy rates in 2009 were 76.9% for men and 54.5% for women.  The low female literacy rate has had a dramatically negative impact on family planning and population stabilization efforts in India. Studies have indicated that female literacy is a strong predictor of the use of contraception among married Indian couples, even when women do not otherwise have economic independence. The census provided a positive indication that growth in female literacy rates (14.38%) was substantially faster than in male literacy rates (11.13%) in the 1991-2001 decadal period, which means the gender gap appears to be narrowing.

Comparative literacy statistics

WORLD (in million)

	Total	Male	Female
Adult Literacy Rate**(15+) (%)	82	87	77
Adult Illiterates**(15+) in million	780.66	281.04	499.62
Youth literacy rate (15-24) (%)	87	90	84
Young illiterates (in million)	138.97	52.81	86.16
Out of School population (in million)	76.84	33.25	43.59

**Source:Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007

About 35% of world's illiterate population is Indian and, based on historic patterns of literacy growth across the world, India may account for a majority of the world's illiterates by 2020.

The table below shows the adult and youth literacy rates for India and some neighboring countries in 2002. Adult literacy rate is based on the 15+ years age group, while Youth literacy rate is for the 15–24 years age group i.e. youth is a subset of adults. 

Country	Adult Literacy Rate	Youth Literacy Rate
China	93.3% (2007)	98.9% (2004)
Sri Lanka	90.8 (2007)	98.0
Burma	89.9% (2007)	94.4% (2004)
Iran	82.4% (2007)	95% (2002)
World Average	84% (1998)	88% (2001)
India	74.04% (2011)	87% (2011)
Nepal	56.5 (2007)	62.7
Pakistan	54.2 (2007)	53.9
Bangladesh	53.5 (2007)	49.7