Module 1: Literacy rates and the gender gap

📖 Chapter 1 of 7 🧩 Module 1 of 7 ⏱️ ~3 min read 💡 22 MCQs

Topic Part 1 of 2

Concept

Subtopic 1.1: Census literacy of Bihar

Census 2011 is still the latest published census. These figures are the final 2011 counts used in the question paper.

Literacy rate: 47% in 2001 and 61.80% (61.8%) in 2011. The 2001-11 rise is 14.8 percentage points. In 1991-2001 the rise had been 9.3 points. India's rise in 2001-11 was 8.66 points.
Male literacy: 59.7% in 2001 and 71.2% in 2011, a rise of 11.5 points (7.8 points in 1991-2001).
Female literacy: 33.1% in 2001 and 51.5% in 2011, a rise of 18.4 points (10.7 points in 1991-2001). The paper also records a 20.2 point rise in women's literacy against 13.7 points for men.
Gender gap: 26.7% in 2001 and 19.7% in 2011.
Literates: 5,25,04,553 persons, of whom 3,16,08,023 are men and 2,08,96,530 are women.
Rural literacy 59.8% and urban literacy 76.9%.
Bihar's literacy is 10.32 points below India's. The female gap is 12.13 points and the male gap 8.75 points. An earlier gap of 17.8 points had narrowed to 10.2 points.
Among states Bihar is 28th and the least literate state. Among states and union territories the paper places it 36th. Among states its decadal gain in 2001-11 is the highest, and second if union territories are counted with the states.
The largest decadal gain is the 2001-11 decade. Kishanganj gained 25.9 points and Patna only 9.6. Twenty districts are above the state average and eighteen are below it.
The youth population aged 18 to 23 is 1.18 crore. Most illiterates are above 15 years of age.
The keyed year for the first census in the region is 1872. The paper's own note also mentions 1921 as the first census of Bihar as a separate state; 1921 is not one of the four choices.

Bihar literacy in 2001 and 2011 — Figure: Bihar literacy, Census 2001 and 2011

⭐ Key Points

Literacy rose from 47% (2001) to 61.80% (2011), a gain of 14.8 points.
Male literacy 71.2% and female literacy 51.5% in 2011.
The gender gap narrowed from 26.7% in 2001 to 19.7% in 2011.
Literates number 5,25,04,553: men 3,16,08,023 and women 2,08,96,530.
Rural literacy is 59.8% and urban literacy is 76.9%.
Bihar is 10.32 points below India and ranks 28th among states.

📌 One-line Q&A

Question: What is Bihar's literacy rate in Census 2011? Answer: 61.80%.
Question: What was the 2011 gender gap in literacy? Answer: 19.7%.
Question: How many persons were literate in Bihar in 2011? Answer: 5,25,04,553.

Topic

Questions

MCQs

Answer this question, then use Next.

Question 1: What was the gender gap in Bihar's literacy rate in 2011?

In 2001 the state's gender gap was 26.7%. In 2011 it had fallen to 19.7%.

Question 5: Compared with the 2001 census, what happened to women's literacy in Bihar by the 2011 census?

From 2001 to 2011 women's literacy rose by 20.2 percentage points and men's by 13.7.

Question 6: Which age group has the largest number of illiterates in Bihar?

The largest number of illiterates is in the age group above 15 years.

Question 7: According to the 2011 census, the number of literate persons in Bihar is:

About 5.25 crore people are literate: 2,08,96,530 women and 3,16,08,023 men.

Question 18: According to the 2011 census, by how much is Bihar's literacy rate lower than India's?

Bihar's female literacy is 12.13 points below India's and male literacy 8.75 points below. The overall gap is 10.32 points.

Question 20: When was the first census held in the Bihar region?

The keyed choice is 1872. The book's note separately says the first census of Bihar as a separate state was in 1921, a year that is not among the options.

Question 24: Which state recorded the highest increase in literacy rate during 2001-11?

Among states, Bihar's decadal literacy gain is the highest. Counting states and union territories together, it stands second.

Question 29: The increase in Bihar's literacy rate between 2001 and 2011 was:

India's literacy rose by 8.66 points from 2001 to 2011. Bihar had gained 9.3 points in 1991-2001, and 14.8 points in 2001-11.

Question 30: By how many percentage points did male literacy in Bihar rise during 2001-2011?

Male literacy had risen by 7.8 points in 1991-2001. The 2001-11 rise was 11.5 points.

Question 31: According to the 2011 census, Bihar's urban literacy rate is:

Bihar's urban literacy rate in 2011 is 76.9%.

Question 32: According to the 2011 census, Bihar's rural literacy rate is:

Bihar's rural literacy rate in 2011 is 59.8%.

Question 33: The increase in women's literacy in Bihar during 2001-2011 was:

Women's literacy had risen by 10.7 points in 1991-2001. The 2001-11 rise was 18.4 points.

Question 43: According to the 2011 census, Bihar's rank among Indian states by literacy rate is:

Bihar is India's least literate state. Among states its rank is 28th.

Question 44: According to the 2011 census, Bihar's rank among India's states and union territories by literacy is:

Counting states and union territories together, Bihar's literacy rank is 36th.

Question 53: According to the 2011 census, Bihar's literacy rate is:

In the 2001 census Bihar's literacy rate was 47%. In 2011 it is 61.8%.

Question 54: According to the 2011 census, Bihar's male literacy rate is:

In 2001 Bihar's male literacy rate was 59.7%. In 2011 it is 71.2%.

Question 55: According to the 2011 census, Bihar's female literacy rate is:

In the 2001 census Bihar's female literacy rate was 33.1%. In 2011 it is 51.5%.

Question 56: According to the 2011 census, the male-female literacy gap in Bihar is:

In 2001 the male-female literacy gap was 26.7%. In 2011 it is 19.7%.

Question 65: In which decade did Bihar record its highest decadal rise in the literacy rate?

In 2001-11 the highest district gain was Kishanganj (25.9%) and the lowest was Patna (9.6%).

Question 77: Which statement about literacy in Bihar is true?

All three statements are marked true: 20 districts above the average and 18 below; Kishanganj gained the most and Patna the least; the gap with India fell from 17.8 to 10.2 points.

Question 78: Bihar's youth population aged 18 to 23 years is:

The population aged 18 to 23 is 1.18 crore.

Question 81: According to the figures of the 2011 census, what is Bihar's literacy rate?

The 2011 census literacy rate of Bihar is 61.80%.

Question 1 of 22

One-liners

Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.

What is Bihar's literacy rate in Census 2011?

61.80%.

What was the 2011 gender gap in literacy?

19.7%.

How many persons were literate in Bihar in 2011?

5,25,04,553.

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