Female literacy rate leapfrogs to 53 pc in Bihar: Nitish Kumar

Patna: Literacy among women in Bihar has leapfrogged to over 53 per cent from 33 per cent 12 years ago due to sustained efforts of the government, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Sunday.

"Due to the hard labour of our government the female literacy rate in Bihar which was 33 per cent in 2001 leapfrogged to over 53 per cent in 2011," Nitish told a seminar.

The central government has rewarded Bihar government for the rise, he said. "But, still we are not happy. We are paying greater attention to literacy so that Bihar figures among the first five states in connection with it in 2021 census," the CM said and emphasised on the might of the pen over sticks as stressed by his rival Lalu Prasad.

Nitish, who was addressing the seminar at Madrasa Jamilia and Madrasa Humaira Samanpura, lamented lower literacy rates among minorities, mahadalits and the extremely backward castes and stressed on improving it.

He said with the implementation of the Right to Education 25 per cent of the seats in private schools are given to students from the poorer sections and highlighted different schemes like free distribution of bicycle and uniform to students of his government to motivate children.