Literacy@74%

I grew up during a time when more than half of all Indians were illiterate. This was something that on the one hand caused you to feel inferior, on the other, also fired you on. It is in this light that the Census 2011 estimate of a literacy rate of 74% assumes significance.  An interesting aspect is the trend that the literacy rate has followed, which is quite linear. In the decades since 1940s, India’s literacy rate has gone up by roughly 10% every decade. If this trend holds true in the future, we should be able to achieve total literacy in another two decades. This in my opinion marks an orbital shift. In all probability, many other social indicators such as health (think of immunization, nutrition, sanitation), awareness regarding rights and privileges, will show an improvement. Add to this, improvement in skills that can be used to exploit new livelihood opportunities, to get some idea of what we are on to!