Education & Employability

The literacy rate of the scheduled tribe in India is 58.96 percent as compared to the National average i.e. 72.99 percent. The Literacy Rate was 8.53 percent in 1961 which has been increased to 58.96 percent in 2011 for STs while the corresponding increase in the total population was from 28.30 percent in 1961 to 72.99 percent in 2011.

The literacy level of STs have improved but the gap level has not declined significantly both for tribal women and men. The gap in percentage between the literacy rate in India and STs has been steadily decreased from 19.77 per cent in 1961 to 14.03 per cent in 2011. 68.53 per cent males and 49.35 per cent females are literate among the Scheduled Tribes respectively. The gap between the male-female STs literacy rate has declined from 24.41 percentage points in 2001 to 19.18 percentage points in 2011.

Comparative Literacy Rates of Total Population and Scheduled Tribe. (Percentage)
Comparative Literacy Rates of Total Population and Scheduled Tribe. (%)
Literacy rate of All Social Groups and STs, Male and Female (Percentage)
Literacy rate of All Social Groups and STs, Male and Female. (%)

The literacy rate for the rural and urban male for STs is 66.8 per cent and 83.2 per cent respectively, while for females (STs) rural and urban it is 46.9 per cent and 70.3 per cent respectively. Among the States/UTs, Mizoram and Lakshadweep have the highest literacy rate for STs i.e. 91.5 per cent and 91.7 per cent respectively. Total ten states have less literacy rate percentage than India’s average ST literacy rate. These states form almost 55 per cent of the total STs population in India.

States having ST literacy rates less than Country’s average for STs. (%)
States having ST literacy rates less than Country’s average for STs. (%)
States/UTs having ST literacy rates more than Country’s average for STs. (%)
States/UTs having ST literacy rates more than Country’s average for STs. (%)

Our Initiatives

Centre for Alternative Dalit Media (CADAM) has been working to improve the access of Dalit children to primary education in the one of India’s most backward region Bundelkhand region. It is working for reducing discrimination in schools and improvements in school infrastructure, by mobilizing the government and the community.

In partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Computer Aided Learning (CAL) and Digital Literacy Model for school children and Computer-Based Functional Literacy (CBFL) programs for adults to address illiteracy and problems in child education have been launched in Jhansi.

Computer Aided Learning
Computer Aided Learning
Computer Based Functional Literacy
Computer Based Functional Literacy