Factors for illiteracy in India.
Discuss the causes of illiteracy in India.
Write about the factors responsible for illiteracy in India.
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Reasons for illiteracy in India: -
Illiteracy is one of the major social problems in India. Although many steps and programs have been taken to eradicate illiteracy in post-independence India, India is still plagued by illiteracy. According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate in India is 74.04 percent; That means more than 25 percent of the people are still illiterate. Illiteracy is a social problem that gives rise to many other social problems. The reasons for illiteracy in India are -
1. The role of the British: - The British ruled India for about 200 years. During this period they took some educational steps in their administrative interest but did not take any measures for the expansion of mass education. Education was limited to the urban educated and middle class. As a result, a large number of people in rural India were far from literate. That is why most of the people were illiterate at the time of independence.
2. Historical background : - With a few exceptions, the administrators in the Sultanate and Mughal eras before the British were preoccupied with war, expansion of the empire and military development. In some cases maktabs, madrasas and Hindu education were in vogue but they were insignificant in terms of the needs of the people as a whole. The Islamic rule that lasted for almost 600 years was a dark age in the field of education in India.
3. Impact of Caste system: - Caste system was traditionally prevalent in India. According to this custom, the lower castes of the society were deprived of the right to education. The millennia-old system of caste forced a large section of people to remain illiterate.
4. Mass Explosion: - According to the 2011 census, the population of India has exceeded 121 crore and the same number of the total population of Australia is being born in India every year. It is not yet possible to build the necessary infrastructure in the field of education for this huge population .
5. Economic reasons: - A large number of people in India live below the poverty line. Also the average per capita income in India is very low. In the case of all these people, it is considered more important to participate in livelihood and vocational work than to receive education. Therefore, despite taking various steps for universal education, it was not possible to achieve the expected success.
6. Failure of various education programs: - Multiple programs have been adopted in India to promote literacy. Such as - Operation Blackboard, National Literacy Mission, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan - etc. Although all these programs have been adopted, none of them has been a complete success. In many cases, the programs have been left in the lurch.
7.Lack of Allocation of money : - India allocates very little money for the expansion of universal education - only 3% of the national income. Various backward and developing countries also spend 6% of their national income on education. Even Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh - these backward countries spend more than 3% on education.
8. Lack of adult education: - 15 to 35 year olds who are refraining from getting education - are called elderly. Although many steps and programs have been taken to expand primary education in India, the necessary steps have not been taken in the field of adult education. Although the National Adult Education Program, or NAEP, was adopted in 1978, there has been a lack of cooperation in the implementation of the program.
9. Lack of well-thought-out plans: - Although one plan after another was adopted in independent India - there is room for doubt as to how scientific and well-thought-out they were. Within a decade of each program being implemented, it has been criticized. Another education policy has been adopted to correct the mistakes of one education policy. As a result, it has not been possible to implement education programs successfully.
10. Lack of overall human awareness: - A huge number of people in India are illiterate. These illiterate people are often unaware of the benefits of literacy. They are also unaware that education is a human birthright. They may not realize how important education is for a successful life. As a result, lack of human awareness is one of the reasons for illiteracy in India.
11. Lack of female education: - According to the 2011 census, the female literacy rate in India is only 65.46 percent. That means about 35 percent of women are illiterate. This image of women's education is a major obstacle to the development of literacy in India. For a long time women were deprived of their right to education. Even today a large number of women are educated only for the purpose of marriage. Many women are still deprived of higher education.
12. Lack of materials and infrastructure: - There is a shortage of materials and infrastructure required to make universal primary education effective. Most schools have far more students than they need. As a result, proper spread of education is being disrupted. Lack of suitable classrooms, textbooks, trained teachers - etc. are hampering the flow of education.
In conclusion, in order to eradicate illiteracy in a truly populous country like India, political will, effective policy formulation, adequate financial allocation and raising public awareness are required. Steps should be taken in line with international education policies and in judging the reality of the Indian problem.
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