Highest literacy (most eduacated) rate in India state wise

The National Statistical Office (NSO) conducted a nationwide study on <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/library/resource/key-indicators-of-household-social-consumption-on-education-in-india-nss-75th-round-july-2017-june-2018/">'Household Social Consumption: Education</a> in India as part of the 75th round of National Sample Survey (NSS) - from July 2017 to June 2018 and it provides a comprehensive analysis of <keyword id="454749" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="female-literacy-rate">female literacy rate</keyword>s for every state of India, considering persons aged seven and above. As per the report, India's country-wide female literacy rate is 70.3%, while the male literacy rate is estimated at 84.7%. India’s average literacy rate stands at 77.7%, according to the NSO. Kerala tops the list with the highest female literacy rate of 95.2%, while Rajasthan is the worst performing state with only 57.6% of its female population being literate. Literacy rate definition Literacy rate in a population refers to the percentage of literate individuals among persons aged seven and above. According to the 2011 Census, a person is considered as literate when they can read and write a simple message with understanding at least in any one language. India: Female Literacy rate across five states <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Female Literacy rate </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Male literacy rate </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Overall literacy rate </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rajasthan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">57.6% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">80.8% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">69.7% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Andhra Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">59.5% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">73.4% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">66.4% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bihar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">60.5% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">79.7% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">70.9% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Uttar Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">63.4% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">81.8% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">73% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jharkhand </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64.7% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">83% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">74.3% </td></tr></tbody></table> *NSS survey from July 2017 to June 2018. The literacy rate in % is among persons of age seven and above and includes rural + urban areas. Indian states with the lowest female literacy rates As per the NSS report, Rajasthan has the lowest number of literate females in the state, with the female literacy percentage for the state pegged at 57.6%. The other states that have recorded the lowest female literacy rates in India are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. Rajasthan: Lowest female literacy The female literacy rate in the state is 57.6% putting the state in the lowest rung among all the states in India with regard to the number of educated females. The overall literacy percentage in the state of Rajasthan, combining female and male literacy rates, is 69.7%. The male literacy rate in the state is 80.8%. However when you consider the overall literacy rate and the male literacy rate, Rajasthan fares better than Andhra Pradesh that has the nationwide lowest figures. Andhra Pradesh stands second The female literacy rate for Andhra Pradesh is 59.5%, which is a bit higher than that of Rajasthan. However, when it comes to overall literacy percentage and male literacy percentage, Andhra Pradesh is the worst performer in the country with the scores of 66.4% and 73.4% respectively. Bihar ranks as the third state with the low female literacy rate The third member from the bottom with regard to female literacy percentage is Bihar scoring 60.5%. The state of Bihar has 79.7% male literacy rate and 70.9% overall literacy rate. Uttar Pradesh is the fourth-worst performing state with respect to female literacy Uttar Pradesh stands at the fourth rank in the country when it comes to poor female literacy rate, with 63.4%. The male literacy rate stands at 81.8% and the overall literacy percentage being 73%. Jharkhand ranks fifth The fifth lowest female literacy rate is found in Jharkhand with the state scoring 64.7%. The state has 83% of literate males with the overall literacy score in the state pegged at 74.3%.

These are the Indian states with the lowest female literacy rate

<ul><li>The <keyword id="911177" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital-classes">digital classes</keyword>, titled 'First Bell', commenced from June 1, 2020.</li></ul><ul><li>Over 43 lakh students from pre-primary standard to Class 12 attended these classes. </li></ul><ul><li>These classes were telecast through the government-owned KITE VICTERS educational channel, under the KITE (<keyword id="6006030" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="kerala-infrastructure-and-technology-for-education">Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education</keyword>).</li></ul> <keyword id="6357416" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="thiruvananthapuram">Thiruvananthapuram</keyword>, <keyword id="28504" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword>, the state with the highest literacy rate in India, has added another feather in its hat amid all challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, conducting over 6,000 online classes in which more than 43 lakh students from pre-primary standard to Class 12 attended. The digital classes, titled 'First Bell', commenced from June 1, 2020, as an interim arrangement for regular classes, and are telecast through the government-owned KITE VICTERS educational channel, under the KITE (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education), officials said. The telecast of all classes for Class 10 was complete by January 17, and that of Class 12 by Saturday. To date, the KITE has developed and broadcast 6,200 class videos as part of the First Bell programme -- over 3,100 hours of educational content. The focus area for each subject was published by the General Education Department and based on that, the revision classes are being arranged from January 31 onwards. "Initially, we planned the First Bell programme for a period of two months only but the Covid-19 situation demanded it to extend throughout the academic year", said K. Anvar Sadath, CEO, KITE. "It was indeed a daunting task to develop the digital classes for all standards, especially for Plus Two in view of various combinations of subjects. But we were able to devise an all-inclusive digital class model to provide classes to all students without risking the loss of an academic year, to the satisfaction of students and teachers," Anvar added. Kerala has already announced examinations for Class 10 and 12 students from March 17 onwards. All class videos are available on the website of First Bell (firstbell.kite.kerala.gov.in), which is listed class-wise and episode-wise for easy navigation. In addition to this, specific episodes including focus areas and the duration would also be made available in the portal, which would facilitate easy viewing of content for students preparing for the examination. The subscriber count of the YouTube channel of VICTERS has crossed over 2.4 million. Apart from India, the classes were also viewed by hundreds of people from Middle East as well as from America and European region. The classes are broadcast through the channel on a pre-defined schedule, which is also telecast live through the Facebook page and uploaded on the YouTube channel. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/one-thing-we-now-know-for-sure-is-in-the-budget-proposals-a-new-infra-lending-institution/articleshow/80600438.cms">One thing we now know for sure is in the budget proposals⁠— a new infra lending institution</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/a-golden-chance-for-startups-to-raise-a-funding-of-2-million-in-just-10-minutes-at-iit-bombays-e-summit-2021/articleshow/80598283.cms">A golden chance for startups to raise a funding of ₹2 million in just 10 minutes at IIT Bombay’s E-Summit 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/why-nithin-kamath-of-zerodha-believes-a-gamestop-like-shorting-and-chaos-wont-happen-in-the-indian-stock-market/articleshow/80596832.cms">The founder of India’s largest broking firm argues that Gamestop-like chaos would never happen in India</a>

Kerala conducts over 6000 online classes during the pandemic

<ul><li>Intense violence has tainted Kerala' politics in recent years.</li><li>Simmering tensions between the UDF, LDF, and the BJP may affect voter turnout.</li><li>If people decide to avoid voting to stay safe, it may skew the results.</li></ul>The southern state of Kerala, famous for its scenic backwaters and high literacy rate, has seen one of the most violent election campaigns in the country. If people decide to sit at home to avoid getting caught in any sort of violence, it may skew the results in favour of one party or the other. <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/kerala/news/violent-end-to-vibrant-poll-campaign/articleshow/68987461.cms">More than 30 people</a>, including a policeman, were injured at Thiruvalla where the activists of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) clashed on the last day of the campaign (April 21). That was only one of the many violent clashes that have caught headlines in the state that boasts of 94% literacy, according to the 2011 census. Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), better known by its acronym CPI(M), said that the party had 13 workers in the last one year. However, police <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/kerala-news/kerala-rss-workers-murder-data-reveals-record-of-political-killings-1733728">records verified by NDTV</a> showed that 14 people from the RSS, BJP, and the left parties have been murdered for political reasons since February 2018. The count of similar deaths between 2000 and 2017 escalates to over 170, according to the same report. The increasingly restive political air in Kerala only shows how tight the fight is going to be. 26 million voters are enlisted for voting on April 23, the <keyword id="2211307" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Third-phase-of-polling">third phase of polling</keyword> in the ongoing elections for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The voter turnout in the state was a record 73.6% in 2014, <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/elections-news/election-2014-kerala-records-73-6-per-cent-voter-turnout-highest-since-1991-556911" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">the highest since 1991</a>. The United Democratic Front led by the Indian National Congress bagged 12 seats while the remaining eight went to the LDF led by the communist party-led coalition. However, the BJP is expected to be a strong contender this time around, more than it has been ever before. The threat from the BJP is seen as the strongest in some regions that have strong Hindu majority, where people are peeved by a 2018 Supreme Court verdict that allowed <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/supreme-court-allows-women-to-enter-sabarimala-temple/articleshow/65989807.cms">women into the Sabarimala Temple</a>. Tradition did not allow women of menstruating age into the temple until the court verdict. The <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/kerala/news/will-do-everything-to-protect-sabarimala-shah/articleshow/68971697.cms">BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh</a> (RSS), milked the issue and kept the anger alive to turn it against the incumbent Parliamentarians. Hindus make up for only 54% of the state’s population, according to the 2011 Census, compared to 80% nationally. 26% of Kerala’s population are Muslims and 18% are Christians. However, the RSS has had a strong support base in Kerala for years but the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/rss-strengthening-base-in-kerala-number-of-shakhas-rising/articleshow/57147070.cms">hindu natioanlist organisation</a> is now stronger in the state than ever before. The odds of BJP getting more votes than before are higher but <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/elections/article/opinion-poll-for-lok-sabha-election-2019-live-times-now-vmr-survey-for-bjp-congress-narendra-modi-rahul-gandhi/384850">most opinion polls</a> have still pegged it as a two-way fight between the UDF and the LDF in the state. A big factor working in favour of the LDF is the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/kerala-will-set-an-example-in-rebuilding-rehabilitation-pinarayi-vijayan/articleshow/65481744.cms">elevated reputation of state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan</a>. He won accolades for effectively managing a devastating flood in the state in 2018. The state also has a long history of leftists dominating state politics. Kerala’s first chief minister in 1957, EMS Namboodiripad, was one of the world’s first communist leaders to head an elected government. On the other hand, UDF led by Congress is trying to squeeze the BJP out by supporting the protests against the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple. “Well, you cannot afford to write off the votes of the majority in times of political interest,” <a href="https://qz.com/india/1601119/election-2019-congresss-tharoor-battles-modis-bjp-in-kerala/">Congress leader Shashi Tharoor</a> fighting to defend the state capital Thriuvananthapuram told Quartz. The margin for error has shrunk significantly for Tharoor who swept the seat with 100,000 more votes than the second candidate in 2009. By 2014, it had shrunk to 14,000 and this time it is expected to be even tighter. Given that tensions are running high, voter turnout may become a deciding factor. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-3rd-phase-polling-live-updates/liveblog/68999100.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">LIVE BLOG: Voting in 117 constituencies underway</a>

Voter turnout may be tested in India’s most literate state that has seen one of the most violent election campaigns

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49583658.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> It is beyond doubt that mobile phones, especially <keyword id="6354775" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smartphones">smartphones</keyword>, are transforming India. It has improved our income and hence our standard of living. Its ownership and effective use not only have an enormous economic impact, also resulted in significant improvements to the socio-economic fabric of our society at large. It is no longer limited to being only a communication tool. It has evolved to become a critical platform to deliver essential services. Hence it can be safely concluded that increased smartphone ownership will naturally bring-in socio-economic benefits. 

	In fact, for the first time in India, household ownership of mobile device is being used as an indicator of societal and economic wellbeing as it serves as an ideal proxy for mobile usage.
 Next time you see a person with a <keyword id="18312" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mobile-phone">mobile phone</keyword>, you can clearly draw the following conclusions about his/her social status. Read on to know what. 

	1. <keyword id="3118523" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="mobile-ownership">Mobile Ownership</keyword> and the Human Development Index
 

	Households that own a mobile phone appear to be enjoying an economic consumption premium over those who do not own a mobile. It has been observed that as smartphone usage has increased in India, there has also been a corresponding improvement in the Human Development Index (HDI). Therefore, it can be said that mobile ownership is one of the important determinants that have a multiplier effect on the HDI. 
 

	• It is interesting to note that the state of Kerala, which has the country’s highest HDI at 76.4, enjoys a 79 percent rural mobile ownership, also amongst the highest in the country. It is important to mention here that Kerala is the only state with almost 100 percent <keyword id="18006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Literacy">literacy</keyword>, which is an important composite of the Human Development Index. 

	• Andhra Pradesh, India's fourth-largest state by area and fifth-largest by population, reports a HDI of 59 percent and a rural mobile ownership at 55.1 percent. The state reports a lower HDI as well as rural mobile ownership compared to neighbouring southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. With a population of 84 million where 2/3rd live in rural areas, indicates that nearly 55 million rural households do not own a mobile. 
 

	• Uttar Pradesh, one of the oldest states in the country with the fourth largest economy in India reports an HDI of 53 percent and a rural household mobile ownership of 55.4 percent. 

	 
	<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49583693.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
	 
 

	2. Mobile Ownership &amp; the Economic Consumption Expenditure Premium
 

	It is observed that mobile owning households in India enjoy economic premium prosperity over households that do not own a mobile in India (2009-2010). 
 

	• Indian households that own a mobile device enjoy a 62 percent economic prosperity premium compared to those without a mobile. 
 

	• This premium is even more pronounced with respect to urban communities where mobile phone-owning households are – on average – 85 percent better off in economic terms.

	 
	<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49583682.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
	 

	3. Literacy
 

	Literacy, which an important indicator of social development in a nation, also reveals interesting trends and depicts covariance with mobile ownership. 
 

	• It is observed that mobile ownership touches 80 percent on an average once a household attains secondary education. 
 

	• It can also be observed that mobile ownership increases by 10 percentage points once a household becomes just literate i.e. the head of the family can read and write but as not attended any formal schooling. 
 

	• Furthermore, the probability of owning a mobile is more than 1.5 times in case of a post graduate household compared to a household that is not-literate. 
 

	• On the other hand, the proportion of rural not-literate households owning a mobile is 40 percent whereas it is 20 percent higher in urban not-literate households. The rural-urban divide in terms of mobile ownership narrows down as educational attainment improves amongst Indian households. 
 

	4. <keyword id="6354525" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Healthcare">Healthcare</keyword>
 

	Owning a mobile has made it possible for households to instantly access basic healthcare services that have contributed to reduced mortality rates. 
 A good example of how the mobile device can be used to deliver basic healthcare services would be <keyword id="117647" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sparsh">SPARSH</keyword> - India’s first sexual and reproductive health services application launched by Tata Docomo in association with the Family Planning Association of India. For individuals seeking advice with puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and contraception, the service disseminates information via Interactive Voice Response (IVR), SMS and Out Call technologies, giving users privacy and providing timely information (critical in life-threatening situations). Note: The study has been jointly conducted by Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) and <keyword id="6359475" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tata-Teleservices">Tata Teleservices</keyword> Ltd. 
	 
	Image credits: indiatimes, mobile multipliers

What does a smartphone state about the social well-being of a country?

Maharashtra, Gujarat and UP lead the race in new demat accounts

Aizawl, Apr 24 () Amid the continuing lockdown thathas confined life within the four walls, Mizoram's largestphilanthropic organisation found much relevance in the wordsof French poet and dramatist Victor Hugo: "It is from booksthat wise people derive consolation in the troubles of life."The Young Mizo Association (YMA) has come up with'doorstep library' service to put an end to boredom, boostmorale and promote the habit of reading.The 'Kawtkai Library' -- offering books from a varietyof genres in English and Mizo languages -- was rolled out bythe Ramhlun South branch of YMA on April 18.Ramhlun South is one of the biggest localities inAizawl with at least 1,500 houses."The idea was conceived soon after the imposition ofthe lockdown... Our members are reaching out to people attheir doorsteps with at least eight categories of books," saidB Lalmalasawma, chairman of the library and documentationsub-committee."The primary purpose was to encourage reading booksand effective utilisation of free time, apart from boostingthe morale of people," he told , adding, the idea alsofound resonance with YMA's theme of the year to promotereading and learning.Under this arrangement, a reader can borrow a maximumof four books free of cost for 10 days.Established in 1935, YMA is the largest philanthropicorganisation in Mizoram with around 4.5 lakh members.YMA Ramhlun South branch secretary Hrathmingthangasaid pictures of books are shared on a WhatsApp group of thelocality to enable people to make their selection."We also collect the books from the readers' homes,and social distancing is strictly followed while distributingand collecting books," Hrathmingthanga said.He said the YMA branch is also planning to give awayprizes to readers borrowing the most number of books.The Ramhlun branch of YMA started its own publiclibrary in 1985 and was recognised by the state government in1991.The library has a collection of over 1,500 books,Hrathmingthanga said.With a literacy rate of 91.33 per cent, Mizoram isthird in the country after Kerala and Lakshadweep, accordingto the 2011 Census. CORRRBT RBT

Mizos find respite from lockdown blues in doorstep library service

For the past few years, the International women’s day has been increasingly exploited by corporations to push products to women. And in the process failing to grasp the spirit of the day to reflect upon the pressing issues of gender inequality and some very real, existential struggles for Indian women. Here’s a stock-take of how women in the country fare on various development fronts including economic and workplace opportunities. 23% women participation in the workforce According to the latest data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) for 2017-18 (yet to be released), female participation in the workforce has <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/why-female-participation-in-workforce-is-on-the-decline-in-india/301207">declined to 23.3%</a> from 31.2 in 2011-12. It is a matter of grave concern as a greater number of women are participating in the examination for higher studies and competitive exams, reported Outlook. In fact, India features among the countries with lowest female share of workforce with only 25.9% share, said another study released by Pew Research Center in March 2017. Withdrawal of women from work is now being attributed as the primary reason for a fall in India’s workforce. Weak laws governing equal pay rights for women India is among <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-among-the-worst-countries-for-laws-governing-equal-pay-rights-for-women-world-bank/articleshow/68287917.cms">the worst countries</a> when it comes to laws governing equal pay rights. It scored zero out of 100 when it comes to giving equal pay rights to women compared to men, said a recent report by the World Bank on “Women, Business, and the Law 2019,”However, it scored 100 out of 100 for “starting a job,” which measured laws letting women pursue a job, and getting married. Slow improvement in sex ratio India has been a poster child for unequal sex ratio from ages. However, the sex ratio has witnessed a marginal improvement from 933 female in 2001 to 940 in 2011 against every 1000 males, reported Economic Times. According to the<a href="https://www.census2011.co.in/"> Population Census of 2011</a>, population ratio in India was 940 females per 1000 males in 2011. 53% female literacy rate There’s a huge gender gap in India when it comes to education and literacy. According to the Census 2011, “The overall literacy rate works out to be 64.8 %, the male literacy rate is 75.3% and that for females is 53.7%, showing a gap of 21.6 percentage points between the sexes at the national level.” The gender gap in literacy rate is more in rural areas than urban areas. Kerala, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Goa and Chandigarh are the top five positions in literacy. On the flip, Dadra &amp; Nagar Haveli, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar are at the bottom. Number of women in politics The proportion of ministerial posts held by women in India <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/02/chart-of-the-day-these-countries-have-the-most-women-in-parliament/">is low</a>. Although India once had a female leader, India Gandhi, today there are only 64 women in 545 of Member of Parliaments as of February 2019, according to World Economic Forum In fact, most of the countries around the world never had a female leader. Low representation in highest-earning Indian celebrity list by Forbes. Only 18 women made it to this year’s Forbes list of 100 highest-earning Indian celebrities including sports. Deepika Padukone, who earned over ₹1,120 million in 2018, was ranked as the highest paid female celebrity in India. With that, she also became the first woman to make it to the top five on the overall list, standing at fourth place. Widening gender wage gap India also has the<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/gender-wage-gap-highest-in-india-women-are-paid-30-less-than-men-ilo-118112701048_1.html"> highest gender wage gap</a> when it comes to hourly wages for labour. Women in India are paid 35% less than what men are paid, said a recent report by the International Labour Organisation. The gender wage gap is recorded as the highest among all the 73 countries included in the report. Crime against women India, which is among the few countries to maintain the list of sex offenders, have recently added over 500,000 names in the list. Overall, there were nearly 338,954 cases registered for crimes committed against women in 2016. A further breakdown <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/govt-adds-5-lakh-names-to-national-sex-offenders-database-1463738-2019-02-24">revealed </a>that most of the cases were reported under violence by husband or his relatives (32.6%t), assault on woman (25%), kidnapping(19%), and rape (11.5%). Hardly any Indian women billionaires The number of women billionaires representing India in Forbes billionaires rich list 2019 was extremely low. Only one woman, Savitri Jindal, from Jindal group<a href="https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/#42a13695251c"> could make it to the top 500 </a>people at 290 rank with a net worth of $5.9 billion. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/activists-demand-reservation-for-women-in-all-political-parties/articleshow/68301996.cms">India should bar political parties with low women representation, demands activist group</a>

Women’s day in numbers: 9 grim reminders that Indian women are still a long way off from empowerment

<table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Puducherry Exit Poll </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Party Names </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">2014 Result </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">C -Voter </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">NDTV - Hansa </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Todays's Chanakya </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">India Today Axis </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TimesNow - VMR </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">INC (Indian National Congress) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">AINRC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">1 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">MNM </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TBC </td></tr></tbody></table>Business Insider compiled surveys from five reputed sources — Republic-C Voter, NDTV - Hansa, Today's Chanakya, India Today-Axis, and TimesNow - VMR — amongst many others and the final number is an average of these five polls. Puducherry is a union territory formed by combining the French colonies of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam with a total area of 483 square kilometers. Pondicherry and Karaikal districts are bordered by the state of Tamil Nadu while Mahe district is bordered within Andhra Pradesh and Yanam district is bordered within the Kerala state. As per the electoral rolls, the number of eligible voters in Puducherry is 9,01,357. This figure consists of 4,32,048 males and 4,69,289 females. The figure also comprises of 20 third gender voters. In 2014 Parliamentary elections, the union territory elected AINRC. In 2009 general elections conducted for the Lok Sabha, Puducherry elected INC. the present MP representing the union territory of Puducherry is R Radha Krishnan of AINRC. In the 2004 elections, M. Ramadass the founder and the candidate of the PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) won from here. The Puducherry union territory has only one seat and hence sends 1 MP from here to represent it in the Parliament. This constituency is unreserved. The union territory of Puducherry has a literacy rate of 86.55%. For 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Puducherry went for polling on April 18 during the second phase of elections along with the state of Tamil Nadu and some others.

Puducherry exit poll 2019 for Lok Sabha Elections

I take the Delhi Metro to work every morning. The subway system allocates one out of six or eight carriages exclusively for the use of <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword>, in the interest of safety. The remaining carriages are mostly occupied by men - I would venture to say anywhere between 80% and 90%, based on rudimentary calculations. This is usually the case all the time. It’s a stark and daily reminder of just how far India has to go in terms of solving its gender inequality problem. A recent<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Global%20Themes/Gender%20Equality/The%20power%20of%20parity%20Advancing%20womens%20equality%20in%20Asia%20Pacific/MGI_Power-of-Parity-Asia-Pacific_Report_April-2018.ashx"> report on gender equality </a>by the Mckinsey Global Institute (MGI), the consultancy’s research division, shows that India is one of the lowest-ranked countries in the Asia-Pacific in terms of labour force participation by females and the contribution of women to GDP, based on figures from 2016. Around 18% of India’s GDP is accounted for by women, while the share of females in the country’s labour force is 25%. Only Pakistan ranks lower than India on both counts- with women contributing a mere 11% to GDP and comprising 22% of its labour force. It has a lot to gain by unleashing the productive potential of its women- who have, up until this point, been a underused resource. MGI estimates that India’s GDP, if everything were to carry on as usual, could increase by $770 billion, or 18%, by 2025 by giving women access to equal work opportunities as men. Around $550bn, or 70% of this increase, would come by just increasing the share of females in the workforce by 10%. The remaining portion of the increase in GDP would be achieved by improving the quality of work given to women and the hours worked. Too often, the report notes, women are engaged in unpaid care work or low-quality, low-paying work like cleaning. A staggering 97% of all female workers are engaged in informal sector work that isn’t regulated and doesn’t offer adequate remuneration based on hours put in. Additionally, the amount of time spent doing unpaid, household chores is lengthened by a lack of easy access to amenities such as cooking fuel and clean water. A lot of women find themselves unable to enter the formal sector due to a low level of <keyword id="6355445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="education">education</keyword>. A <a href="https://thewire.in/economy/ten-charts-gender-inequality">report last year in the Wire</a> showed that despite achieving strong enrolment rates for females in primary schools, as a result of the Right to Education Act, the government was not able to translate this into improved rates for secondary and tertiary enrolment. A girl’s higher education is looked at as an opportunity cost. Why send her to school when she can start helping her mother take care of the house or drawing an income from manual work? Inequality in formal sector The lack of female representation in the formal sector also has a lot to do with how upper classes in Indian society function. The MGI report explained that women’s workforce participation follows a “U-shaped curve”. While women from low-income families are forced to work out of necessity, the level of female employment gets progressively lower the wealthier a family gets, owing to the fact that there is a lower need for a woman to work for pay. MGI says that this effect can be reversed if companies step up their hiring of women and give women more leadership opportunities. In most cases, the hiring practices of Indian companies reinforce the <keyword id="6484133" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="labour-participation">labour participation</keyword> gap. According to <a href="http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/548581522089881652/pdf/WPS8379.pdf">a working paper by the World Bank, </a>an analysis of over 800,000 Indian job postings showed that there was an explicit bias towards men, especially in blue-collar sectors. Further still, professions that have greater representation by women - such as teaching, health and business process outsourcing - actually paid men significantly more. A lack of legal protection and political representation India does not have any laws in place to ensure equal pay for men and women. While the government passed a law mandating 26 months paid maternity leave in April last year, it made no provision for financial support to small-and-medium sized businesses. At the time, experts felt that the law would only serve to exacerbate <a href="https://qz.com/943639/proof-that-indias-new-maternity-leave-law-could-make-it-even-harder-for-women-to-get-a-job/">discriminatory hiring practices against women.</a> The government also excluded the unorganised sector from the purview of the law, thereby offering no protection to women in temporary, self-employed or contractual roles. Worse still, the law did not make any mention of paternity leave, deciding once and for all that child-rearing was the sole responsibility of the mother. The percentage of women in India’s lower house of Parliament is tragically low, at 11%. The Women’s Reservation Bill, which reserves 33% of the seats in both houses of Parliament and state legislatures for women, has been languishing for 22 years, despite being passed in the upper house in 2010. No surprise there. Why would the leaders of a male-dominated legislature be okay with ceding their seat to a woman? The Northern states fare a lot worse There seems to be a regional aspect to India’s <keyword id="6372584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-equality">gender equality</keyword> problem. While states in the northeast and south of India, like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Sikkim, report strong female workforce participation rates, Northern states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu &amp; Kashmir, fall significantly behind. Unsurprisingly, the level of female workforce participation was lowest in states with lower levels of adult literacy. This highlights the problem as primarily one of access to good education. In mapping out a strategy to improve gender equality in India, the government would do well to focus on states in the North first. Some progress has been made, however This is not to say that India hasn’t made any progress in curbing gender inequality. Over the past decade, it has reduced maternal mortality rates from 280 for every 100,000 births to 174. The female-to-male adult literacy ratio has also increased by 0.10 points to 0.87 while the prevalence of child marriage has declined. Financial inclusion is also being achieved, gradually, through the Jan Dhan Yojana Scheme, which has given around 300 million women access to bank accounts and savings schemes, and the Mudra Yojana microcredit programme, under which more than 6 million female entrepreneurs have received loans. But a lot more needs to be done So what does that India needs to do to unlock the potential of its women and achieve the aforementioned increase in GDP? Firstly, according to the MGI, the government needs to leverage the digital inclusion and internet penetration wave. Greater access to computer skilling and by extension, to the internet means greater access to information - educational courses, learning resources, job postings and networking opportunities. It also means access to online banking, which in turn, means access to credit and savings instruments. Secondly, there need to be skilling and vocational training programmes tailored to industries where women have the highest potential for greater participation- healthcare, hospitality, textiles and electronics assembly. Thirdly, the government needs to encourage gender diversity-focused hiring policies in the companies. Fourth, given that women do ten times more unpaid work than men, the government can help reduce the time spent on unpaid work by providing households in rural area with electricity, closer access to clean water and subsidised childcare services. Fifth, increasing the level of women in legislative bodies in India will set a good example for other industries and could kickstart a shift in societal norms. Women are an <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/PyQ7hlxIkiyXlsUqq7JbOL/The-growing-importance-of-women-as-an-electoral-constituency.html">increasingly influential electoral group</a> and deserve adequate representation. Last, but most important, it needs to stimulate private investment and create enough jobs in the economy to accommodate the increase in female workers - an issue that merits its own feature story. The increase in the female labour participation rate is not low-hanging fruit that the government can pluck and qualify as a win. It transcends election cycles and requires long-term, structural reform and a broad shift in societal attitudes. It’s a massive undertaking, but with a worthy payoff. Wouldn’t it be great if there were two compartments for women in the Delhi subway? Or better yet, each compartment was equally comprised of men and women?

India would be US$550 billion richer if it just increased its share of women in the labor force by 10%

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/45164955.cms" /> The country is still in the hangover of its successful <keyword id="164562" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars-mission">Mars mission</keyword>. The scientists and intelligentsia are basking in the glory of this tremendous success in the field of space technology. On mother earth though, the scene is quite different. <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, the land where mixture of culture, tradition, heritage, science, IT and modernity make for a heady concoction, there is an age-old problem that still stands out like a niggling thorn. 
 
The country is rich in human resources. Average age of an Indian is well below the quintessential 30s. The minds are modern-yet-rooted in ancestral knowledge. It is a melting pot where old and new meet to create awesome results. The ‘new’ is the perspective and the ‘old’ is the customs that don’t seem to go away. The world’s largest democracy is bearing the burden of being world’s second largest country as far as population is concerned. And there is something else that keeps India at the second rank. It is the number of child marriages that take place in the country. 
 
Recently, United Nations reported that India stood second in child marriages that happen across the world. Though the practice has been brought under the ambit of law, they continue unabated away from the watchful eyes of authorities. 
 
There have been embarrassing situations for ministers when they have attended mass marriage ceremonies and found many couples to be underage. Sometimes, such marriages have been stopped, sometimes the children go home as couple. 
 
Two things have transpired in the last two decades for India, which may well cost its global image. Between 2000 and 2012, there were majority of child marriages that went unregistered. And these years also saw India standing in the second position with rising number of child marriages. Now, a crucial point here is that the child marriages that were reported constituted this data. It is anybody’s guess as to how many such marriages may have gone unreported, without the authorities even getting the slightest wind of it. 
 
It is surprising to note that a South Indian state – Kerala, is in a prominent position as far as child marriages are concerned. Would one call it an irony that the state takes pride in being a ‘total literacy’ state too? What went wrong then? 
 
The state, which has matriarchal system, wasn’t among the most prominent names in the past. But, the slow and steady rise of this social menace has surely left the issue in a quandary. Blame it on social system or a way of treating gender balance, but the indicators surely post a worrisome picture. 
 Culture, tradition, lackadaisical implementation of laws pertaining to <keyword id="6390829" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Child-marriage">child marriage</keyword> contribute to this practice that was mostly seen in the states of Northern India; such as Gujarat and Rajasthan where children were married even before they were born. Though the system finds its roots in tribal communities, it has surely made its way into other communities as well. 
 In fact, fighting this social issue was among the prominent things a modern India dreamt about, which was to release itself from the clutches of <keyword id="250558" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="British-administration">British administration</keyword>. Nearly seven decades since, India is still grappling with this issue. 
 
What is surprising though is the fact that India comes second only to a country like Niger which is nowhere close to India in its growth charts. Niger boasts of 75% child marriages, where one of three girls is married off as soon as they step into teenage. In India, girls are married off before they reach a legally permissible age of 18 for marriage. 
 
Bihar, with its low literacy rate, and notorious reputation of being partners with other states that carry out female foeticide unabatedly, is the top most state in India which marries off girls even while they are underage to be a bride. 
 This is followed by <keyword id="6360371" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jharkhand">Jharkhand</keyword>, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> and Madhya Pradesh. 
 
Though the law against child marriage is applied equally to all religions with no relaxation to any particular community, the administration sometimes fails to adhere to this owing to dominance of a particular community in the area. It becomes a highly risky thing to implement laws in communities which are dominant in the area with the implementing officers being meek observant when such incidents take place. 
 
Economical instability, rising gap between rich and poor, migration and low sex ratio contribute to the social problem that is sure to cloud India’s achievements in the near future. Just as the country inches towards becoming the most populated in the world, displacing China, it would also soon have the highest number of child brides and underage bridegrooms who will find it difficult to access education or make ends meet with a natural maturity that comes with age.

You Searched For "kerala literacy rate" and got 11 results

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Women’s day in numbers: 9 grim reminders that Indian women are still a long way off from empowerment

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Puducherry exit poll 2019 for Lok Sabha Elections

BI India Bureau

India would be US$550 billion richer if it just increased its share of women in the labor force by 10%

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