M.P. claims big rise in literacy

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, MARCH 31. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh, quoting the provisional figures of Census-2001 said the State has registered a 20 per cent rise in literacy from 44 per cent in 1991 to 64 in 2001.

Addressing a Press conference here on Thursday, he said this was a spectacular increase when compared to growth rates of previous decades. Madhya Pradesh which showed only 21 per cent literacy in 1961 registered a 6 per cent growth in the 1960s, 11 per cent in the 70s, and six in the 80s. It has now shown a 20 per cent increase.

Mr. Singh said Madhya Pradesh has now taken a lead over Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. This impressive rise vindicates the method adopted by his Government to spread basic education and literacy through the Shiksha Mission mode. The State-specific initiatives launched by the Rajiv Gandhi Shiksha Mission such as the Education Guarantee Scheme and the Padhna Badhna Andolan have been responsible for this massive increase as these schemes reached out to the poorer communities in remote habitations.

The Chief Minister further said female literacy has also gone up in the State by an impressive 22 per cent. From the previous low of 28 per cent, the State has now registered over 50 per cent female literacy. Male literacy has also gone up to 76.8 per cent, he said

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