Illiteracy In India

India is a land of diverse cultures, religions, and communities. It is the second-most populous country, the seventh-largest country by land area, and the most populous democracy in the world. Every region has its own customs and tradition. With all of this majestic pride, the Indian subcontinent is a unique nation of its kind. With all these aspects, India is still primarily considered a developing country in the Global South. One of the main issues India currently faces is the problem of "Illiteracy". Although this may seem absurd at first, the truth remains the same!

As per the UNESCO report of 2017-18, 35% of the world’s illiterate population resides in India. As Indians navigate from one state to another, they find many differences in terms of language, habit, culture, need, climate, etc. Due to these differences, there exist regional differences in educational attainment in India. There exists a difference in the pattern of education across India. Some regions lack educational facilities whereas some give undue importance to education. For example, states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh are educationally backward whereas, states like Kerela, Tamil Nadu, and Uttranchal have higher literacy rates.

The above map shows the details of the 2011 census data on the total literacy rate in percentage. According to Census 2011, Kerala has the highest total literacy rate and female literacy rate whereas Lakshadweep had the highest male literacy rate. Andhra Pradesh has the lowest overall literacy rate. Rajasthan has the lowest male literacy rate, while Bihar has the lowest female literacy rate. While the increase in the average literacy rates has been growing exponentially throughout the years from the 1950s to 2020, there is still a wide gap in differences in literacy rates throughout India. Generally, it can be observed that in the states that lack employment opportunities and where the standard of living is close to the subsistence level, education is given lesser importance. People in those states are engaged in either the agricultural sector or informal sector that has very little to do with education. The opportunity cost of sending the children to school is very high than employing them. The neglect of education in these regions is primarily because of the low standard of living and poverty. These people cannot afford to send their children to schools and, in fact, employ them either in the farmlands or in the informal sector. Therefore, the literacy rate in India is uneven and as such, different states and union territories of India have differences in their literacy rates.

• Since ancient times education has been run for the purpose of retaining power by the ruling elites. In the 20th century in India, the need for education to become public good was born. Unfortunately, the hierarchical social order, caste-based society, inequality of rights have made and are still making it difficult for Indian society to make use of education. Nowadays economic development, emancipatory aspirations of women and Dalits, treating literacy as a means of communication of ruling elites with the society are conducive to the dissemination of education (Pareek 2015).
• The top castes have a monopoly in most social spheres, which leads to denying the access of lower castes to higher positions in the social and professional structure. Educational policy in India heads towards the preservation of the differences between castes. Dalits have considerably worse opportunities to use education and achieve educational success. It is reflected in the inaccessibility of certain educational forms for the poorest social strata, uneven distribution of social institutions, and underdeveloped didactic and technical base. Educational programs reflect the divisions in a caste-based society. Language policy also aims at perpetuating the divisions in society (Pareek 2015).
• Some of the reasons for illiteracy in India are children in some family situations are considered useful to the family (planting, harvesting, etc.), the children do not learn in school to read their mother tongue, and the children’s interest in education is suppressed by their parents who think education has little to no relevancy to home earnings. Reading has a limited place in rural India (McCullough 1965).

1. Illiteracy among parents: Many illiterate parents do not put much emphasis on the importance of education. Several of those born to parents who can neither read nor write end up being illiterate. This is especially true in remote areas where many people in the older generation have not gone through formal education. The reverse is true for those who have been brought up by parents with an elaborate educational background. They realize the necessity of taking their children to school and therefore ensure that they receive a good education (Victor 2016).
2.  Lack of affordable education facilities: Those who live in very remote areas with few or no education facilities may remain illiterate. The nearest school might be found several miles away. Instead of going through the tiresome process of walking long distances on a daily basis just to go to school, many choose to stay at home. Lack of access to education facilities in rural areas has contributed a lot to the high number of illiterate people in these places (Victor 2016).
3. Unemployment of the educated: Some people believe that the only reason someone should go to school is so that he or she can get a good job and make a good life. Without the promise of employment, education is not a necessity to them. In a country where many of the educated are unemployed, there may not be enough motivation for the illiterate to go to school. After all, they reckon, why would you spend so much money paying for your education when there is no promise of a return on investment? In countries where those who have gone to school have good jobs and reasonable incomes, there may be sufficient motivating factors for people to get rid of illiteracy (Victor 2016).
4. Lack of awareness: In places where several members of the local population do not understand why it is important for them to go to school, the level of illiteracy may be high. Disinterest in the benefits of formal learning can also be caused by a lack of awareness of the importance of going to school. The number of illiterate people in urban areas tends to be lower than that of those in rural areas. People in towns are more aware of the need to eliminate illiteracy, the challenges that arise from lack of education, and the social benefits of being literate compared to those who live in remote places (Victor 2016).
5. Poverty: Poor parents with low incomes find it difficult to pay school fees. They are forced to choose between providing basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing and taking their children to school. In countries where basic education is not free, the number of children who do not go to school tends to be higher compared to places where basic education is free and mandatory (Victor 2016).

• Kerala is the state with the highest literacy rate in the country, yet some of its elected officials are in jail. If the young adult illiterates, who will participate in the decisions about India’s course in the next twenty years, are to be helped to circumspect and wide decisions, avenues of information must be opened. Teachers must change their methods, the textbook must change, syllabi must change, language instructors in the primary teacher training institutions must alter their offerings, literacy programs for adults must be made more effective, and there must be reading materials for adults and children cheap, easy, and attractive enough to draw and hold its readers (McCullough 1965).
• The Twelfth Five Year Plan by the Government of India (2012-17) clearly links the quality of education to the availability of physical infrastructure, textual materials, classroom processes, academic support to the teachers, assessment procedures, and community involvement. It focuses on providing adequate inputs and infrastructure for the proper functioning of schools and treats improving school inputs as just the starting point in improving educational quality. The Supreme Court in a ruling in 1993 said that children had a fundamental right to free education and thus in the year 2003 the “Right to Education was incorporated in the Constitution under the Constitution (83rd Amendment), 2000”. Several other schemes too had been launched to ensure the right to education in the country. The National Policy of Education in the year 1986 declared that the whole nation must commit itself to drive away from the menaces of illiteracy, especially among the young population. The National Literacy Mission in 1988 made literacy a community endeavor (Anand 2015).
• India has successfully broken out of the “low literacy trap” in which the illiteracy of parents leads to poor literacy outcomes for the successive generation. Child and youth literacy numbers for both males and females show that sustained efforts to improve literacy have borne fruit over the years. The introduction of the Mid-Day-Meal Scheme (1995), and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (2001), as well as the enactment of RTE (Right to Education Act, 2009),  have contributed significantly to improving literacy. According to the latest available data, child and youth literacy in India stands at 93 percent and 94 percent, respectively. If India is able to sustain this momentum, then the country might be able to achieve universal literacy for children and youth by 2030 (Chandra 2019).
• The problems in female education are not confined to issues of increasing access, expanding coverage, and improving quality. Rather, the biggest hurdle is to transform mindsets and convince parents to send their sons and daughters to school. Child and youth literacy has always been high on the development agenda. However, illiteracy among older adults is also a pressing concern, as illiterate adults are more susceptible to ill health, exploitation, and human rights abuse. They will remain unemployed and earn lower wages (Chandra 2019).

1. Free education: The provision of free education in schools, colleges, and universities by the government can play a major role in reducing the level of illiteracy in a country by getting more people to school. Since some people fail to attend school due to the lack of money to pay for the fees, offering free education can increase the number of people attending school and subsequently reduce illiteracy levels within society (Victor 2016).
2. Awareness: Creating awareness about the importance of education can help people understand why they need to go to school. Non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and other concerned parties should put in place deliberate measures to create awareness in society and reduce the number of people who are unable to read and write.
3. Grants: Offering grants, subsidies, and scholarships can reduce the financial burden that parents and students bear in paying for education. It would make it possible for students to learn without interrupting their education due to the lack of school fees. Parents would also channel the money that would have been used to pay for school fees towards other income-generating projects. The cost of financing education can prove to be too high especially for those who live in poverty (Victor 2016).
4. Digitization: Since we live in the age of technology and information, creating digital platforms for reading and learning can help reduce illiteracy in society. It can also help take care of the challenge of the shortage of education facilities. Digital libraries can provide a good platform for those who live far away from urban centers to expand their knowledge base and become more informed (Victor 2016).
5. Lower educational cost: Even though education has its rewards, it is very costly to finance. Many graduates usually leave school with huge debts in the form of student loans. It makes saving and investing difficult. The cost of university education has been a key political and social issue in many nations. By lowering the cost of education, the government can make it easier for people to study up to the highest level possible (Victor 2016).

The value of education cannot be underestimated. Many people like to think of it merely as a process to gain the skills and expertise necessary for the job market. Even though education gives an individual a competitive advantage in the job market, that is not all that it does. Going to school plays a major role in the mental as well as social development of a person. The lessons learned and the experiences that a person goes through while in school prepare him or her for life in society. One can learn problem-solving skills and develop the social intelligence necessary to overcome everyday life challenges. Illiteracy, therefore, has no room in modern society. The more the number of people who have gone to school, the better the community. Everyone should aspire to be educated and gain knowledge because of the important benefits of being literate.