Illiteracy in India – Reasons for Illiteracy in India

Illiteracy in India: The problem of illiteracy in India is a matter of great concern. Despite the fact that the country has made great strides in education, the literacy rate is still very low. According to the latest figures, the literacy rate in India is only 74%. This means that more than one quarter of the population is still illiterate.

Illiteracy is a state in which someone is unable to read and write. In other words, it can also be defined as a lack of education. It constitutes the backbone of development in a progressing country like India. In our country, the adult literacy rate is measured for people aged above 15 years, and the rate of youth literacy is measured for people aged between 15-24 years. To all those who are aware or unaware, India is home to the largest number of illiterate people in the world. 25% of the Indian population is still uneducated.

For any country to have a productive Human capital it is important that the people there are educated and literate. Lack of education is the reason that poverty exists. The crimes increase when people do not have a living and also a sense of rational thinking. The illiteracy rate of women is much higher than men because there are still people who do not believe in educating their girls. The infrastructure for education is also not very well developed. The quality of education of a public school varies too much from a private school. And this is the reason why private schools are costlier and not all can afford to go there.

The average literacy rate of India is 74.04%. Kerala has the highest literacy rate of 93.91% and Bihar has the lowest literacy rate of 63.82% in India. The Ministry Of Home Affairs conducts a census after every 10 years in India.

Reasons for Illiteracy in India:

Less-educated parents: Wherever parents are not so educated, this also leads to a lack of knowledge of the importance of education in life. This results in them not educating their children as well.

Lack of Infrastructure: The educational infrastructure is still not developed in the way it should have been after so many years of Independence. Due to this, there are still a lot of people in our country who are not able to access some education. The government must reach out to the most vulnerable sections of society.

Poverty: This is both a cause and effect of Illiteracy. There are still millions of people in India who do not have access to proper food, home, and clothes. They can not afford to even send their children to schools and are therefore forced to put them to work in farming activities or any other form of work they have been in.

Population: The rapid increase in population is also a huge factor that also plays a role in the increasing rate of Illiteracy in our country. The resources are fewer and the users consuming them are in great numbers. The poor people think that if they will have more children then they can send their children to work and that way they will earn more wages and so instead of educating them they force them to work.

Corruption: Red-tapism and corruption have played a huge role in leading us to this condition. The funds that are provided for the betterment of education are often misled or misused and are used for filling the pockets of their own officials.

Brain Drain: The educated youth in India often take a decision to leave India and settle abroad or find a job in pursuit of a better lifestyle there also because they do not get a favourable job in India as the competition to get even basic decent job is very ruthless here. They feel their talent will be utilized better in foreign socio-economic climates and they will get better opportunities there than in India thus they move abroad leading to a brain drain situation in our country as the great minds are leaving India.

Backward thinking: Gender biases are still a very serious issue that exists in our society. They believe that the education of girls is not so important as they will not serve them after getting married and so they only send their boys to school and provide them education instead of girls further leading to an imbalance in the education ratio between girls and boys.

Finally, for a country to develop and prosper it is really important that its people are educated well enough to contribute to the welfare of the society. The introductions of policies alone will not work but what is important is their execution and effectiveness. There is a lack of awareness among the people of India and it needs to be addressed. It is high time that our education is given importance more than anything else and reaches the remote areas as well as the big cities equally and adequately. It is a shame that after so many years of independence India is still way behind in providing education to its countrymen.

Know The Ratio of Illiteracy, As per Indian Govt Standards

Solutions to the Illiteracy Issue

• Free education: The provision of free education in schools and universities by the government can go a long way in helping to reduce illiteracy in India. Many people fail to acquire education due to a lack of money and not everybody is capable of taking loans.
• Awareness: Spreading awareness about the importance of education is needed as many people do not realize this and how it can change their life to a large extent. All kinds of government and private organizations should try to create this awareness among the people and thus reduce the number of people who cannot read and write.
• Grants: Offering scholarships and zero-interest loans to students studying in schools and colleges will help them in focusing on their studies rather than thinking about paying fees all the time and will also encourage the parents to provide their children with education.
• Digitization: Today we all live in the age of technology and information, the internet is available to everyone today. Institutions and educational organizations should try to create more digital platforms to teach children of all classes and especially try to reach those who live in rural areas and cannot afford to come to a city to acquire an education.

Also read: Teaching and Learning Without Grading

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is illiteracy a problem in India?

Illiteracy affects a person in all stages of their life. An illiterate cannot read and write and therefore will find it difficult to survive any environment and will lack the skill of making the right decisions for his life which affects both them and their community.

What is the solution to illiteracy?

The provision of free education in schools and universities by the government can go a long way in helping to reduce illiteracy in India.

How does illiteracy cause poverty in India?

Illiteracy leads to poverty because lack of knowledge makes an individual incapable of earning a good pay job for them which leads them to not have enough to have a portion of decent food and shelter.

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