VIJAYAWADA: The report published by the National Statistical Office (NSO) has revealed that Andhra Pradesh has the least literacy rate, compared to all other States in the country.In male-female and rural-urban literacy rate, Kerala continued to stay on top with 96.2 per cent, while AP with 66.4 per cent was at the bottom of the list. AP’s literacy rate was also much less than the national average of 77.7 per cent. The gap between the male and female literacy rate in the State was 13.9 per cent, while the gap between rural and urban literacy rate was 19.2 per cent.
The average literacy rate of rural male and female was 60.4 per cent, while that of urban was 79.6 per cent. There was a 19.7 per cent difference between the literacy rate of rural and urban women, while 18.8 per cent of more men in urban areas were literate compared to their counterparts in rural areas.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation conducted a survey on Household Social Consumption: Education as part of its 75th round of National Sample Survey. The data, which is for all those aged seven years and above, released over a month ago was for the period of July 2017 to June 2018.
It also stated that the illiteracy rate among rural population of 15 years and above, was almost double that of urban people. While 45.5 per cent of rural people were found to be illiterate, only 23.5 per cent of urban population was illiterate. Moreover, 18.5 per cent of rural people were literate up to primary, 8.7 per cent between primary and secondary, 14.5 per cent up to secondary, 7.6 per cent up to higher secondary and only 5.1 per cent in graduate and above category.
On the other, 18.1 per cent of urban population was literate up to primary, 9.6 per cent between primary and secondary, 20.3 per cent up to secondary, 12.6 per cent up to higher secondary and only 15.8 per cent in the graduate and above category. Prof Narava Prakasa Rao, State convener of Right to Education Forum, lashed out at the previous government for the poor show of AP in literacy.