Yatish Yadav By

Latest statistics from the 2011 Census released by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday revealed that female literacy rate has risen substantially in the past decade, but child sex ratio is at its lowest since independence.

The primary census abstract data revealed that child sex ratio in the age group of 0-6 years came down to 919 females per 1,000 males against 927 in the 2001 census. The statistics exposes the continuing discrimination against the female child in society.

However, the overall sex ratio increased marginally from 933 females per 1,000 males in 2001 to 943 in 2011. The growth rate of the female population in the 2011 census was recorded at 18.3 per cent, higher than the percentage growth of males at 17.1.

Kerala, as usual, reported high sex ratio — 1,084 females per 1,000 males, closely followed by Tamil Nadu with 996 females per 1,000 males.

Shinde said he is “distressed to see the decline in the child sex ratio”.

Female Literacy Up

Female literacy growth in the decade 2001-11 has been higher than that of males in all States and Union Territories except Mizoram.

Kerala was ranked on top with 94 per cent literacy rate. As per the data, 763.5 million out of a total population of 1.21 billion is literate. In 2001, the figure was 560.7 million.

“An extremely positive development in the present decade is that the gap of 21.59 percentage points recorded between male and female literacy rate in 2001 census has reduced to 16 percentage points in 2011,” said the Registrar General of India report. More: P2, P11