The literacy rate in rural India has increased by 10% during the last ten years

According to recent government data, rural India has seen a 10 percent increase in literacy over the last ten years, with women driving this growth.

After independence, education has been a vital component of India’s growth, with each succeeding administration working to raise the country’s literacy rate. The road to universal literacy is still lengthy, and obstacles still exist despite advancements. Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary noted during the current Lok Sabha winter session that rural literacy has increased by a remarkable 10 percent in the last ten years.

“The Government of India has implemented a number of Centrally Sponsored Schemes/Programs over the years to increase the literacy rate, including rural literacy among adults. These have produced positive results, including the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (2018-19 to 2025-26), Saakshar Bharat (2009-10 to 2017-18), Padhna Likhna Abhiyan (2020-21 to 2021-22), and ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram/NILP (2022-23 to 2026-27),” he said.

This accomplishment highlights the effectiveness of focused educational initiatives and regulations, even as initiatives to close gaps and guarantee fair access to high-quality education persist. The literacy rate among people aged seven and older in rural India increased from 67.77 percent in 2011 to 77.50 percent in 2023–2024, according to data Chaudhary gave. There was an increase in male literacy from 77.15 percent to 84.7 percent, and an improvement in female literacy from 57.93 percent to 70.4%.

The execution of the Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram (NILP), also called ULLAS: Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society, was emphasized by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary.

The program, which is a component of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, targets persons who skipped formal schooling and are at least 15 years old. It focuses on women and those living in rural and educationally underdeveloped areas. The curriculum offers a variety of delivering options, including online, hybrid, and offline. In addition to offering access to educational resources in 26 languages, a specialized ULLAS mobile app facilitates the registration of students and volunteer teachers.

More than two crore students have taken the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), according to Chaudhary.