Odisha fares better in literacy rate with 77.3%

BHUBANESWAR: With 77.3 per cent (pc) literacy among those in the age group of seven years and above, Odisha has fared better than the states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The literacy rate was 72.9 pc in 2011.

As per the latest National Statistical Office (NSO) survey, Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country with 96.2 pc and Andhra Pradesh featured at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 pc.
The report on ‘Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey - from July 2017 to June 2018’ revealed the literacy rate at 74.9 pc in rural areas compared to 90.2 pc in urban areas of Odisha. 

The male literacy rate is higher at 84 pc against 70.3 per cent among women. The gender gap was even wider in rural areas as the male literacy rate stood at 82 per cent compared to 67.3 pc of females. In urban areas, 94.4 pc men and 85.9 pc women were literate. 

The report also revealed that only seven pc people have successfully completed graduation and studied above. While nearly 25.1 pc people are literate upto primary level, 16.9 pc people have studied upto secondary level and 7.5 pc upto higher secondary level. 

Odisha is among the bottom-eight states in Age Specific Attendance Ratio (ASAR) of children, aged three to five years, as it is only 20.5 pc against 61.6 pc in Punjab and 58.3 pc in Kerala. 

The survey found that 7.1 pc persons in the age group of three to 35 years never enrolled for education and 50.4 pc though enrolled in the past and dropped out latter.

“Only 2.6 pc persons pursued technical education while 97.4 pc opted for general course. While the share of men in technical education is 3.3 pc, only 1.7 pc women pursued technical or professional courses,” the report stated.  

A sample of 3,118 rural households from 392 villages and 1,142 urban households from 144 wards was surveyed in the State.