Page 1 of 16
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 06
July 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 341
Literacy Scenario in UP and Efforts taken to Improve
Basic Education in UP
Ms Monika Srivastava,
Assistant Professor, A.P.Sen Memorial Girls College, University of Lucknow, Lucknow
ABSTRACT
The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO) have drafted a definition of
literacy as the "ability to identify,
understand, interpret, create, communicate,
compute and use printed and written
materials associated with varying contexts.
Literacy involves a continuum of learning in
enabling individuals to achieve their goals,
to develop their knowledge and potential,
and to participate fully in their community
and wider society."
The Census data of 2011 reveals that
74 percent of the Indians are literate and
almost every child has access to primary
school within 1 km of his/her habitation.
Although, this is a significant achievement,
there is a wide disparity in the literacy rate
of different states and between male and
female literacy. As far as elementary
education is concerned, even though access
has increased, a large number of children
drop out of schools within a year or two,
which also raises questions on the quality of
education in the schools.
Key Words
Literacy, Drop Out, Enrolment, Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyaan, NELP, Mid Day Meal
and Quality Education.
Introduction
"Just as the whole universe is contained in
the shelf, so is India contained in the
villages. We must empower the villages
through education".
- Mahatma Gandhi
Ever since independence, an
educational explosion has taken Place in
India. As J.B.G. Tilak put it “Today, the
number of pupils in India outnumber the
total population of England, France, Canada,
and Norway taken together. Every sixth
student in the world enrolled at the primary
level, every seventh in the secondary level
and every eighth in the tertiary level is an
Indian”. Education is the most critical
element in empowering people with skills
and knowledge and giving them access to
productive employment in the future. The
link between education and the ability of the
poor to transform their lives for the better is
well established. Access to education can
also provide better access to health and
sanitation, gender equity, livelihood
opportunities and can act as powerful agent
of social change.
The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO) have drafted a definition of
literacy as the "ability to identify,
understand, interpret, create, communicate,
compute and use printed and written
Page 2 of 16
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 06
July 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 342
materials associated with varying contexts.
Literacy involves a continuum of learning in
enabling individuals to achieve their goals,
to develop their knowledge and potential,
and to participate fully in their community
and wider society."
The National Literacy
Mission defines literacy as acquiring the
skills of reading, writing and arithmetic and
the ability to apply them to one's day-to-day
life. The achievement of functional literacy
implies (i) self-reliance in 3 R's, (ii)
awareness of the causes of deprivation and
the ability to move towards amelioration of
their condition by participating in the process
of development, (iii) acquiring skills to
improve economic status and general well
being, and (iv) imbibing values such as
national integration, conservation of
environment, women's equality, observance
of small family norms.
The literacy is still less than 75
percent and while the “Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan” has expanded access to primary
schools in terms of enrolments, it is yet to
provide quality education. Looking ahead,
we need to move as rapidly as possible
towards universalization of secondary
education, which is essential requirement for
a knowledge driven world.
Our Constitution has recognized the
importance of education and is committed to
make available free and compulsory
education to all children between the ages 6
and 14 years. A significant milestone
reached in Census 2011, is that the total
number of illiterates has come down from
304,146,862 in 2001 to 272,950,015 in 2011,
showing a decline of 31,196,847 persons.
The Census data of 2011 reveals that
74 percent of the Indians are literate and
almost every child has access to primary
school within 1 km of his/her habitation.
Although, this is a significant achievement,
there is a wide disparity in the literacy rate of
different states and between male and female
literacy. As far as elementary education is
concerned, even though access has increased,
a large number of children drop out of
schools within a year or two, which also
raises questions on the quality of education
in the schools. From the ancient times,
education has been an integral part of our
culture and civilization. Apart from other
segments of social life, educational
institutions were established to impart
education to the people to foster the cultural
legacy. From that time to the present time,
the importance of education has been well
recognized and now the knowledge, skills,
creative abilities talents and aptitude of the
people have become the real resource of the
nation. The dawn of planning era gave
enhanced attention to this sector and national
policy on education (NEP) of 1986 provided
impetus for educational development. The
subsequent period has been a renewed focus
on Universal Elementary Education (UEE)
with the commitment of the Central
Government reflected in the form of 86th
Amendment of Constitution making
education a fundamental right. Now the
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Act 2009 has come into force
since 1.4.2010 which gives a large mandate
to provide free education to children of 6-14
years. Accordingly State Government has
also notified The Uttar Pradesh Right of
Page 3 of 16
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 06
July 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 343
Children to Free and Compulsory Education
Rules, 2011 on 27th July 2011
In the post-Independent period
literacy rate has shown substantial increase
in the state from about 12.0 per cent (of
population aged 5 and above) in. 1951 to
40.7 percent (of population aged seven and
above) in 1991 and thereafter to 57.4 in
2001. The female literacy has also increased
substantially from 4.1 per cent (of population
aged 5 and above) in 1951 to 24.4 per cent
(of population aged 7 and above) in 1991
and 43.0 in year 2001. The decennial census
of 1991 had augured well on many accounts.
For the first time the number of literate
persons was higher than the number of
illiterates. During the decade 1991-01 female
literacy increased at a faster pace (18.6 per
cent) than the male literacy (15.4 per cent).
The literacy gender parity index or
the gender gap defined as the ratio of female
to male literacy rate which ideally should be
100, improved from 44.5 in 1991 to 61.2 in
2001. The rural-urban differential in male
literacy has declined from 17.9 per cent in
1991 to 10.2 per cent in 2001. The rural- urban difference in female literacy has
declined from 31.4 per cent in 1991 to 24.8
per cent in 2001.
As per the World Development
Report 2004 it is essential to educate girls in
order to combat many of the most profound
challenges in human development. There are
studies which reveal that in most developing
countries women are less educated than men.
But in the recent decade women's education
is considered as of greater importance than
that of men's education. In several researches
world wide it has been shown that social
benefits from investing in female's education
are far greater than those from in men's
education.
LITERACY RATE
Literacy, the basis of all
education, is as essential to survival and
development in modern society as food is to
survival and development of the human
body. In the field of education Uttar Pradesh
lags far behind many other states of the
country. As per the Census-2011 in India
74.04 percent persons are literate, out of
which, 65.46 percent females and 82.14
percent males are literate and in UP of total
69.72 percent literate, 79.24 percent are male
and 59.56 percent are females. These data
clearly reveal that female literacy in UP is
less than the national average.
