Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India has released the Census 2011 data on Highest Educational Level Attained among population of 7 years and above by age and sex for total, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) up to district levels. The tables are available on the Census of India website: www.censusindia.gov.in

Tables C-08, C-08 SC and C-08 ST give the distribution of literates by highest educational levels attained like Literate without educational level, Below Primary, Primary, Middle, Matric/Secondary, Higher secondary/Intermediate/Pre-University/Senior secondary, Non-technical diploma or certificate not equal to degree, Technical diploma or certificate not equal to degree and  Graduate & above. Primary occupies the top position in terms of percentage share to total literates in 2011 for both total (24.1%) and SCs (27.7%) and for STs, it is below primary (29%).  The tables reveal that the percentage share of literates at the higher educational levels, i.e. Middle, Higher Secondary and above have gone up at national level for total, SCs and STs during census 2011 as compared to census 2001. However, in case of Matric/Secondary, there is negligible decline for total while for SCs & STs, there is improvement. The improvements at higher educational levels along with decline in percentage share at below-Primary and Primary level are indication of educational advancement in the country during the decade 2001-11.

Tables C-08 A, C-08 SC A and C-08 ST A give the distribution of graduate and above over various educational levels, namely, Graduate Degree other than  Technical Degree, Post Graduate Degree other than Technical Degree, Engineering and Technology, Medicine, Agriculture and Dairying, Veterinary, Teaching and Others. The percentage share of Graduate and above to Population of 15 years and above has shown improvement from 5.7% to 8.2% for total, 2.2% to 4.1% for SCs and 1.5% to 2.6% for STs during 2001-11. The percentage share of Graduate degree other than technical degree to total Graduate and above has declined by 7.2% for total, 7.7% for SCs and 7.5% for STs during the decade 2001-2011 while the share of Post Graduate Degree other than technical degree (+2.9% for total, +2.4% for SCs and +2.4% for STs) and Technical Degrees or diplomas equal to degree or post graduate degree (+4.4% for total, +5.3% for SCs and +5.1% for STs) have shown improvement during the said decade.

*****

KSD/PK/BK/sk