True, according to Census 2011 data, Bihar’s literacy figure jumped from 47.5 per cent to 63.82 per cent in the last ten years. But this does not mean that there is something to celebrate about as the state has long way to go.

Apparently the increase in Bihar’s literacy percentage may sound impressive, but when compared to Jharkhand––not to talk of other states––which was its part till November 15, 2000, the gain is not at all significant. If Bihar’s literacy percentage can increase by 16 per cent when it had political stability all throughout the period between 2001 and 2011 and crores of rupess were pumped in the field of education by the Centre, state government and non-government organizations what prompted Jharkhand to see a 14 per cent jump when the new state had to face political instability and chaos for the entire decade. The state became a byword for horsetrading and corruption. More than half a dozen chief ministers came and went not to speak of a couple of brief period of President’s Rule. If in this situation Jharkhand can go up from 53.6 per cent to 67.6 per cent than how can Bihar boast of a big successs. If the present state government in Bihar is exclusively trying to take credit for Bihar’s success who should be credited for Jharkhand’s relatively good performance?

The fact is that Bihar witnessed about nine per cent jump between 1991 and 2001 too (from 38.5 to 47.53 per cent) when there was political and social turmoil––Mandal-Mandir era––in the first three years of 1990s. It also needs to be recalled that Jharkhand part of Bihar was carved out from the state just on the eve of 2001 Census. As the literacy rate in Jharkhand part of the state was always high its separation in 2000 checked further rise in the literacy percentage of Bihar.

Besides, there was no centrally-sponsored programmes like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (Total Literacy Campaign) before 2001. In fact it was launched in the country in 2001. Even the Supreme Court order on the implementation of Midday Meal Scheme all over the country came in 2001. This centrally-sponsored scheme played a key role in attracting children to school at lower level.

The rise in the female literacy rate in Bihar should not be attributed to the distribution of cycle to girls as is being made out in a section of the media. Cycles were distributed to girls and later boys of Class-IX whereas, according to criteria, even a primary school pass can be called literate. The Cycle Distribution Scheme only checked the drop rate in higher classes and has nothing to do with the literacy percentage.

It needs to be understood that jump can always be more when the percentage is less. It is very difficult for states like Kerala (93.91%) and Lakshadweep (92.28%) to make a huge jump of over 10 per cent or more because they already had reached a saturation point.

In fact Rajasthan saw a huge jump from 38.55 per cent in 1991 to
61.03 in 2001. In the last Census Rajasthan had improved its position among the States. While in 1991, only Bihar had a lower literacy rate than Rajasthan but in 2001 Rajasthany went ahead of Uttar Pradesh (57.36 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (54.74), Jammu and Kashmir (54.46), Jharkhand (53.6) and Bihar (47.53).

But in 2011 Bihar has not jumped a single position notwithstanding so much tall claims.

Instead it is a matter of great concern that the child gender-ratio of Bihar has gone down considerably––from 942 to 933. This when states likes Punjab and Haryana, notorious for poor gender-ratio, have managed to check it.

Comment

comments...

The regime-media nexus is making fools of Biharis. Honest opinions have long lost relevance for the
regime.They listen to opinion makers only.

The fourth pillar has converted paid-news into treasury paid news in Bihar.(lakhs of crores of rupees are paid
to them from the public purse through advertisements)

Media has lost their credibility. They have become sycophants of the government and behave like

political workers for the regime, same as erstwhile Egyptian and Libyan media did.

The countdown has begun for the regime.

Raj Gayawala
Delhi, India

-------------------------------------------------

having lived in europe and presently living in the united states i have read a great deal about my roots,that is bihar.no place on earth has contributed more to human civilisation than bihar.whether it is science,math religion , literature or warfare,our forefathers were the best.university of nalanda gave hindu numerals,the decimal system,the value of pi,algebra,arithmatic,astronomy. by giving birth to mata janaki,gautam budhdha ,jain mahavira,sikh guru govind singh in bihar , we produced the greatest religions of the world. the sythe equipped mauryan war chariots were the most feared weapons in the world during mauryan rule.even
alexandra the great did not dear attack bihar during nanda(right before mauryan) rule.CHANKYA's arthshatra is a master piece book on running of an empire.rishi vishwamitra lived in the forest of present day baksar area.this is the place where he was courted by pari menaka and menaka gave birth to shakuntala.king dushyant married shakuntala and gave birth to the first emperor of the world named BHARAT.this story has been so well narrated by vaishali dramatist kalidasa in his book "shakuntala".lord ram was sent to vishwamitra for education and training in warfare by king dasarath of ayodhya.it is vishwamitra who pursuaded ram to go to mithila and take part in the swamvar of mata janaki.
the religious tolerance of the people of bihar is unparallel in this world.budhists,jains,sikhs and muslims found bihar to be a heaven for practcing their faiths.emperor sher shah was the most religiously tolerant among all muslim rulers of the world.
i urge to the leaders of bihar,please get your inspirations from our history of bihar and make it again the most prosperous, mightiest and tolerant place on this earth.
jai bihar
abhay bhagat
portland,oregon,usa