Over one-third of Indian population living in rural areas is illiterate even after 68 years of independence.

New Delhi: Over one-third of Indian population living in rural areas is illiterate even after 68 years of independence, according to the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011.

Around 64 percent of the rural Indian population is literate, the Census data showed.

Rajasthan leads the pack of illiterate states with 47.58 percent of its population falling in that category, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 44.19 percent of its people in rural areas being illiterate.

Bihar is at the third place with 43.85 percent and followed by newly carved state Telangana with 40.42 percent population belonging to this category.

However, the most literate state of Kerala has only 11.38 percent population falling under the illiterate category.

After Kerala, Goa has the least illiterate population with 15.42 percent and Sikkim at the third spot with 20.12 percent.

Himachal Pradesh has also done well in terms of improving its literacy rate. The state has only 22.05 percent illiterate population.

All India average of the population having below primary education is 13.97 percent, while middle education pass out is 13.53 percent.

The percentage of graduate and higher education is only 3.45 percent across the country.

However, Goa is ahead of Kerala in term of population with graduate and above education qualification. While Kerala only has 7.75 percent falling in that category, 9.48 percent Goa's population is graduate and above.

PTI