Consider the following statements with reference to the Census 2001 of India:

1. For the first time, the country has witnessed a faster growth in female literary compared to that of males during the decade 1991-2001.

2. During the decade 1991-2001, the rural- urban literacy gap continued to diverge

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

Solution

• As per the Census 2001, The literacy rate recorded an increase of 13.17 percentage points to from 1991 to 2001, the highest increase in any one decade. • During the decade the 1991-2001, rural- urban literacy gap continued to diverge: o The rate of growth of literacy in the decade ending 2001 has been higher in the rural areas, at 14.75 per cent as compared to the 7.2 per cent increase in urban areas. Despite these improvements literacy in urban areas was 80.3 per cent and that in rural areas 59.4 per cent.