New Delhi, March 10: The literacy rate among Muslims in India stands at 79.5% for individuals aged 7 and above, while the overall literacy rate across all religions for the same age group is 80.9%, according to the Annual Report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24. This information was shared in Parliament on Monday.
Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju highlighted the government's multipronged approach to uplifting minority communities. He outlined key focus areas, including educational empowerment, infrastructure development, economic upliftment, addressing special needs, and strengthening minority institutions.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is responsible for formulating policies and programs for the socio-economic development of six notified minority communities: Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Parsis, and Sikhs.
Literacy Growth Over the Years
The Minister also shared data showcasing the improvement in literacy rates among Muslims over the past three decades. In the 2001 census, the literacy rate for Muslims aged 7 and above was recorded at 59.1%, compared to the national literacy rate of 64.8% for the same age group. By the 2011 census, the literacy rate for Muslims had risen to 68.5%, while the national rate increased to 73%. This marked a 9.4-percentage-point increase in Muslim literacy within a decade.
Educational Initiatives for Minorities in Odisha
Focusing on educational empowerment initiatives in Odisha, Rijiju provided provisional data for scholarship disbursements. In the 2022-23 academic year, 700 students received Pre-Matric scholarships, a sharp decline from 25,620 beneficiaries in 2021-22. Similarly, 779 Post-Matric scholarships were awarded in 2022-23, compared to 4,030 in the previous year.
The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to promoting education among minority communities to improve socio-economic conditions and reduce dropout rates. Various scholarship schemes have been implemented, with 30% of the scholarships earmarked specifically for girls from minority backgrounds.
Key initiatives include:
Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme (launched in 2008) – applicable for students from Class 9 until 2021-22.
Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme (introduced in 2007) – covers students from Class 9 up to Ph.D. level.
Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme (introduced in 2007) – supporting undergraduate and postgraduate students in technical and professional courses.
