Scheme Strengthening Education Among ST Girls

To bridge the gap and improve the literacy level of female students belonging to the Scheduled Tribe communities, besides usual reservation for ST students, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing many education-oriented schemes. This Ministry has been implementing a specific scheme for ST girls - ‘Strengthening Education among ST Girls in Low Literacy Districts’ in 54 identified districts where the literacy rate of ST female is less than 35% and ST population is more than 25%. The other schemes of this Ministry which promote education among Scheduled Tribes children are: “Construction of Hostels for ST Girls and Boys”, “Establishment of Ashram Schools in Tribal Sub-Plan Areas”, “Post-Matric Scholarship, Book Bank and Up gradation of Merit”, “National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Higher Studies Abroad (NOS)” and “Top Class Education for ST Students”.

State\UT wise Literacy rate of ST women in the country is given as under:

tate/ UT wise Literacy Rates of Scheduled Tribes (Census 2001)

S. No

State/UTs

Total

Rural

Urban

Female

Female

Female

01

Andhra Pradesh

26.11

24.48

45.99

02

Arunachal Pradesh

40.56

35.83

69.05

03

Assam

52.44

51.04

80.62

04

Bihar

15.54

13.3

55.28

05

Chhattisgarh

39.35

38.21

59.77

06

Goa

47.32

31.43

54.55

07

Gujarat

36.02

34.6

51.78

08

Haryana^*

-

-

-

09

Himachal Pradesh

53.32

52.5

81.15

10

Jammu & Kashmir

25.51

23.88

59.34

11.

Jharkhand

27.21

24.38

57.38

12.

Karnataka

36.57

33.32

54.34

13.

Kerala

58.11

57.28

77.7

14.

Madhya Pradesh

28.44

27.24

45.89

15.

Maharashtra

43.08

39.88

64.7

16.

Manipur

58.42

57.58

74.28

17.

Meghalaya

59.2

53.97

84.58

18.

Mizoram

86.95

77.71

96.01

19.

Nagaland

61.35

57.72

85.6

20.

Odisha

23.37

22.07

45.77

21.

Punjab^*

-

-

-

22.

Rajasthan

26.16

25.22

42.97

23.

Sikkim

60.16

58.03

80.59

24.

Tamil Nadu

32.78

29.48

50.68

25.

Tripura

44.6

43.35

89.26

26.

Uttar Pradesh

20.7

18.34

39.54

27.

Uttarakhand

49.37

47.36

79.48

28.

West Bengal

29.15

27.88

48.2

29.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

59.58

58.62

89.49

30.

Chandigarh^*

-

-

-

31.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli

26.99

24.6

56.73

32.

Daman & Diu

51.93

51.05

55.4

33.

Delhi^*

-

-

-

34.

Lakshadweep

80.18

78.18

82.64

35.

Puducherry^*  

-

-

-

India

34.76

32.44

59.87

Source: Registrar General of India, Census 2001