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THE JOURNAL OF BENGAL GEOGRAPHER

                             VOLUME-III NUMBER-I

FOUNDATION OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHER

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EDITORIAL

The Journal of Bengal Geographer aspires to achieve to the world of researcher for
explore their talents and leasing them expose their acumen to exhibit their research pursuit.
It would stress on creativity and innovation as the specialty, to forge ahead with the new
ideas in the emerging new world.

Today we traversed across countries, across cultures and made the world borderless,
collapsing the barriers between countries. In the click of a mouse we have the potential to
access the platforms, from one pole to the other. This gospel idea encourages us to publish
a journal. The traditional idea of hard copy publication of journals, in the years to come
shall be replaced by online publication which shall allow the researchers to easily relate to
each other ideas. I especially welcome to all viewers to be a part of our journey and make
the journal enrich forever.

DR. DEEPAK KUMAR MANDAL 

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CONTENT

SL.NO. PAPER & AUTHOR PAGE

NO.
1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN THE LIGHT OF RIO DECLARATIO IN THE 01-15
HILL STATION DARJEELING, WEST BENGAL
DR. D. K. MANDAL

2 SOIL DEGRADATION AND CONSERVATION OF CHOPRA BLOCK-A CASE 16-29

STUDY OF UTTAR DINAJPUR DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL
MS.RESHMI SARKAR

3 30-39
LAND USE STATUS OF JALPAIGURI DISTRICT AND ITS COMPARE TO WEST
BENGAL AND INDIA
MR.ASIM SARKAR

4 STATUS OF IRRIGATION OF JALPAIGURI DISTRICT WEST BENGAL 40-47

SOUGATA CHAKRABORTY

5 LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE AND ITS IMPACT ON 48-58

ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA
DR.JOGENDAR SINGH

6 SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GAZALDOBA TEESTA MULTIPLE RIVER 59-68

VALLEY PROJECT
DR. SUTAPA BANIK

7 FACTOR OF PRODUCTION IN FARM ECONOMY IN THE WORLD 69-78

DR.UTTAM DEB
8 ECONOMIC STATUS OF PEOPLE LIVE IN TEA-GARDEN AREA OF 79-88
JALPAIGURI, WEST BENGAL

DR.GOUTAM KUNDU
9 SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF MIDNAPORE DISTRICT WITH THE 89-96
HELP OF TOURISM
MRS.SUCHANDA SHARMA

10 POOR PEOPLE ON NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION 97-107

MR.GOUTAM KUMAR

11 AN OVERVIEW OF WOMEN EDUCATION IN INDIA 108-121

MR.BHUPEN BARMAN 

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AN OVERVIEW OF WOMEN EDUCATION IN INDIA

MR.BHUPEN BARMAN
GUEST LECTURER
GEOGRAPHY
RAJGANJ COLLEGE
JALPAIGURI
WEST BENGAL

ABSTRACT

Female  literacy  is  considered  a  key  factor  for  the  rapid  development  of  a 
country.  An  educated  woman  is  important  for  decision  making  in  relation  health 
seeking, family planning, nutrition and economic issues etc. She not only helps in the 
development  of  human  resources,  but  in  improving  the  quality  of  life.  There  is  a 
disparity  in  literacy  between  men  and  women  in  India.  At  present  status  and 
awareness of women that entrepreneurship opens up new fields for they and they can 
achieve their cherished profession which has independent and self support. 

KEYWORDS: Disparity index, Education, Female literacy.

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INTRODUCTION

Education is a key factor for the rapid development of a country and literacy is
the basis of education. It is necessary for a person to be literate before he becomes educated.
A higher level of education provides dynamism to society and helps in social upliftment
(Khullar,2010).The literacy is essential for eradicating poverty and mental insolation for
cultivating peaceful and friendly international relation. The women education in India plays a
very important role in the overall development of the country. In the changed scenario,
awareness has motivated women to start their own enterprise.

The concept of literacy that varies from country to country generally refers to the
minimum level of literacy skills. The Population Commission of United Nations considers
“the ability, to both read and write a simple message with understanding in any
language, a sufficient basis for classifying a person as literate.” The Census of India
adopted this definition.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

The present study has undertaken the following objectives:

i. To analyse the importance of women education.

ii. To find out the present picture of female literacy in our country.

iii. To find out the causes of barriers to women education in India.

METHODOLOGY

The study is based on mainly secondary data on the census of India and some
data are collected from different journals, books etc. Methodology applied in the study are
totally depends on statistical analysis by tables, charts, index marks and interpretation.

IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN LITERACY

―Nation’s progress is impossible without trained and educated mothers, if the

women of my country are not educated, about half of the people will be ignorant”-
Napoleon answered this about the development of France.

A woman was to play three roles in the course of her life. The first duty of woman
is to be a good mother. Education teaches a woman what she would be. An educated lady is a
good friend, a cleaver nurse and useful adviser to her husband. So, she is true help mate. She
can get her husbands‘ affection and love and regard. An educated lady is always able to show
her sorrows. Education helps balanced personality development by giving due weight to
various aspects of personality. Education also plays an important role in teaching her
expression of feeling or through effective communication which can solve disputes and
adjustment problems of any level. An educated woman is a guiding light for the children,
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family members, society and nation. She knows how to have a happy family and balanced
and health relation with others. As it is rightly said, “there is a woman behind the success
of every man” (Hossain and saha, 2013).

For improvement of literacy the status of women in India has been subjected to many
great changes the past few millennia. From the equal status with men in ancient times through
the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of legal rights by many reformers, the
history of women in India has been eventful. In modern India, women have adorned high
offices including that of the President, Prime-Minister, and Speaker of the Lok Sabha
and the Leader of the opposition. According to the Indian constitution, women are
guaranted equal rights with men (Kaur, 2013).
LITERACY OF WOMEN IN INDIA

Female literacy is considered to be a more sensitive index of social development

compared to overall literacy rates. Female literacy is negatively related with fertility rates,
population growth rates ,infant and child mortality rates and shows a positive association
with female age at marriage, life expectancy ,participation in modern sectors of the economy
and above all with female enrolments (Usha Nayar,2004).

LITERACY IN PRE-INDEPENDENCE IN INDIA

This period usually called the colonial period of India. It was the most important
period of educational development in our country. In the British period there was revival of
interest in women's education in India. During this period, various socio religious movements
led by eminent persons like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar
emphasized on women's education in India. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Periyar were
leaders of the lower castes in India who took various initiatives to make education
available to the women of India (Kumar & Sangeeta, 2013). In India and in many
developing countries formal education is not the only source of acquisition of knowledge
(Bhuimali, 2004). Due to social and economic bottlenecks women literacy only 0.6 %, who
could read and write in 1901. It slightly improved to 2.93% in 1931 and in 1941 the women
literacy was just 7.30%. The women literacy in pre-independence period is shown in table-1.
TABLE-1
LITERACY IN PRE-INDEPENDENCE IN INDIA

Census year Persons (%) Male (%) Female (%)

1901 5.35 9.83 0.60

1911 5.92 10.56 1.05
1921 7.16 12.21 1.81
1931 9.50 15.59 2.93
1941 16.10 24.60 7.30
SOURCE: DIFFERENT CENSUS ISSUES OF INDIA.
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FEMALE EDUCATION IN PRE-

INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

10

IN PER CENT
5
Female
0
1 2 3 4 5

FIG-1; FEMALE EDUCATION RATE IN PRE-INDEPENDENCE PERIOD.

The figure-1 shows the scope of education was limited to a few. A large majority of the rural
population had not enjoyed the right to education before independence. The situation did not
change much even after India attained freedom from foreign rulers in 1947 (Bhuimali, 2004).
LITERACY OF WOMEN IN POST INDEPENDENT IN INDIA

Women literacy rate in India was very low at the time of independence. Post
independent India has witnessed divergent process of social change. Different central and
state Government policy improve the women literacy in our country today.Now-a-days
women‘s literacy giving equal rights to women in every sphere, including education.
TABLE-2

LITERACY IN POST-INDEPENDENT IN INDIA

Census year Persons Male Female

1951 18.33 27.16 8.86

1961 28.30 40.40 15.35
1971 34.45 45.96 21.79
1981 43.57 56.38 29.76
1991 52.21 64.13 39.29
2001 64.84 75.26 53.67
2011 73.00 80.89 64.64
SOURCE: DIFFERENT CENSUS ISSUES OF INDIA.

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FEMALE EDUCATION IN POST

80
INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

IN PERCENT
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

FIG-2, FEMALE EDUCATION IN POST INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

Table-2, Show the female literacy in 1951 was 8.86% which improved 39.29% in 1991. It has
been found that where as 53.67% female literacy in 2001 and it increased 64.64% in 2011
(fig-2)

TABLE-3

GROWTH OF LITERACY IN INDIA, 1901 TO 2011 AND WOMEN-MEN DISPARITY INDEX

Census year Men women Women-men disparity index

1901 9.83 0.60 6.10

1911 10.56 1.05 9.94
1921 12.21 1.81 14.82
1931 15.59 2.93 18.79
1941 24.60 7.30 29.67
1951 27.16 8.86 32.62
1961 40.40 15.35 38.00
1971 45.96 21.79 47.41
1981 56.38 29.76 52.78
1991 64.13 39.29 61.27
2001 75.26 53.67 71.31
2011 80.89 64.64 79.91
SOURCE: CENSUS OF INDIA.2011,

Male-Female gap in literacy rate is an important indicator of literacy (Khullar,

2010).It increased from 9.23% in 1901 to 17.30% in 1941, but declined thereafter. It decreased
from 25.05% in 1961 to 16.68% in 2011.Table-3 show the women-men disparity index.
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Women-men disparity index represented by following formula:

Per cent literates in women

Women-men Disparity Index=---------------------------------- x 100
Per cent literates in men

The above index measures the performance of women in literacy to men. The
index shows that literacy in women is low relative to men. Thus the index has a low value
showing its value less than 100. The index shows that over year women literacy rises relative
to men. If the value reaches to 100, then there will be no variation in literacy among
women and men. Any deviation from 100 is the measure of disparity between women and
men literacy (Bhuimali, 2004). The table-3 showing the literacy of men and women is rising.
And it is clear that the women literacy is faster than the men literacy indicating reduced
disparity over a period of time.

The women literacy was worse than men. After independence the literacy
position both men and women considerably improved. The progress of women literacy is not
even throughout the country. Women literacy in rural areas continues to lower that in
urban areas (fig-3). The causes of such flow down growth rate are mans. But the most
important and immediate cause is the massive poverty and less job opportunity in rural
India (Bhuimali, 2004). The table-4 & 5 shows the rural and urban female in India on
different censuses.

TABLE-4
RURAL WOMEN LITERACY

Sl. no. Year Rural women literacy

1 1961 9.1
2 1971 13.0
3 1981 17.9
4 1991 24.6
5 2001 46.1
6 2011 57.9
SOURCE: DIFFERENT CENSUS ISSUES OF INDIA.

TABLE-5

URBAN WOMEN LITERACY

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Sl.no. Year Urban women literacy

1 1961 37.4
2 1971 42.0
3 1981 47.8
4 1991 53.7
5 2001 72.8
6 2011 79.1
SOURCE: DIFFERENT CENSUS ISSUES OF INDIA.

RURAL & URBAN WOMEN LITERACY RATE IN INDIA

90
80
70
IN PER CENT

60
50
40
Rural women literacy
30
20 Urban women literacy
10
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
YEAR

FIG-3, RURAL AND URBAN LITERACY IN INDIA

STATE-WISE FEMALE LITERACY IN INDIA AS PER 2011 CENSUS:

TABLE-6, STATE/UT-WISE LITERACY

Sl. No Name of the State/UT Female Literacy in %

1 Andhra Pradesh 59.1

2 Arunachal Pradesh 57.7
3 Assam 66.3
4 Bihar 51.5
5 Chattisgarh 60.2
6 Delhi 80.8
7 Goa 84.7
8 Gujarat 69.7
9 Haryana 65.9
10 Himachal Pradesh 79.9
11 Jammu and Kashmir 56.4
12 Jharkhand 55.4
13 Karnataka 68.1
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14 Kerala 92.1
15 Madhya Pradesh 59.2
16 Maharashtra 75.9
17 Manipur 72.4
18 Meghalaya 72.9
19 Mizoram 89.3
20 Nagaland 76.1
21 Odhisha 64.0
22 Punjab 70.7
23 Rajasthan 52.1
24 Sikkim 75.6
25 Tamil Nadu 73.4
26 Tripura 82.7
27 Uttar Pradesh 57.2
28 Uttarakhand 70.0
29 West Bengal 70.5
30 Andaman & Nicobar 82.4
Islands
31 Chandigarh 81.2
32 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 64.3
33 Daman & Diu 79.5
34 Lakshadweep 87.9
35 Poducherry 80.7
All India 64.6

SOURCE: CENSUS OF INDIA, 2011

STATE-WISE FEMALE LITERACY IN INDIA AS PER 2011 CENSUS

90
80
70
60
East
50
40 West
30 North
20
10
0
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

FIG-4; STATE-WISE FEMALE LITERACY IN INDIA, 2011 CENSUS

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From the figure-4 it is clear that the total literacy rate in India during the year
1901 was 5.35% which increased in 73.00% by 2011. One important thing is that in all the
years, male literacy rates were higher than that of female literacy rates. In the 2001, the male
literacy rate was 75.26% while the same year for female literacy was 53.67%. In the year
2011, the male literacy rate has reached to 80.9% and female literacy rates in 64.6%. In the
table-6, we have been found that the highest female literacy is found in the state of Kerala
(92.10%) and lowest in Bihar (51.5%). And in Union Territories the highest female literacy
observed in Lakshadweep (87.9%) and lowest in Dadra & Nagar Haveli (64.3 %).

BARRIERS TO WOMEN EDUCATION:

There are several reasons for the low levels of literacy in India. The reasons for
not sending girls to school are both economic and social. Although school attendance is free,
the costs of books, uniforms, and transportation to school can be much for poor families. Poor
families are also more likely to keep girls at home for work in family enterprises. Parents also
do not see the value of educating especially a daughter who would get married and remain a
housewife. If a family has to choose between educating a son or a daughter because of
financial restrictions, typically the son will be chosen. Negetive parental attitudes towards
educating daughters can also be a barrier to girls‘ education.

Another barrier to education in India is the lack of adequate school facilities.

Many states simply do not have enough class rooms to accommodate all of the school age
children. There are another important problems such as sanitary and water supply in the
schools.

Lack of female teachers is another potential barrier to girls‘ education. Girls are
more likely to attend school and have higher academic achievement if they have female
teachers.These particularly true highly gender-segregated societies such as India (Victoria A.
Velkoff, 1998).

STEPS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA TO IMPROVE FEMALE LITERACY RATE IN

INDIA

 India has the second largest educational system in the world after China. The Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the newest effort of the Government of India to universalise
elementary education in mission mode. Literally meaning Education for All campaign.
The SSA aims to provide useful quality education to all children age-group 6 to 14 years
by the year 2010.

 Free education program to poor people‘s family those who are living in villages and
towns.

 Setting up of new school and college at district and state level.

 The Government start different scholarship for girls for improved their education.

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 Several committees have been formed to ensure proper utilization of funds allotted to
improve the female literacy rate.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion we can say easily the women education in India plays a very
important role in the overall development of the country. It not only helps in the development
of human resources, but in improving the quality of life at home and outside. For necessary of
women education the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Neheru said, “You can
tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women”. This is absolutely
true. Women of any nation are the mirror of its civilization. If a woman enjoys good status it
shows that the society has reached a level of maturity and sense of responsibility (Aggrawal,
Kotwal & Sharma, 2012). So we have needed the development of women literacy in our
country.

REFERENCES

1. Aggrawal, Hemika. Kotwal, Nidhi. & Sharma, Kanika.2012: Women

Entrepreneurship in Jammu & Kashmir, Primus Books, Delhi, pp. 237-246.

2. Bhuimali, Anil. 2004: Education, Empowerment and empowering women;

empowering rural women –when & how? Serials publications, Delhi, pp.104-130.

3. Anshu, Ms. 2012: IJCSMS (International journal of computer science &

Management Studies), Strengthening the role of women in Indian society by
women empowerment, Vol-12, pp.27-33.

4. Rajshri.2013: International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, State wise

Literacy in India (2011), vol-5, pp.6-8.

5. Hossain, Akhtar. & Saha, Birbal. 2013: Golden Research Thoughts, Muslim
Empowerment through Education, Vol-2, pp.1-5.

6. Kumar,Jitendra.,& Sangeeta,MS.,2013:Educationia Confab, Status of Women in

India,vol-2,no.4,pp.161-176.

7. Pooja & Singh, Jagdeep. 2013: Golden Research Thoughts, Women empowerment
& education, vol-3, pp.1-4.

8. Kaur, Pushpinder, 2013: International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal,

Status of Women (A case study of Haryana: 2001), vol-4, pp.33-37.

9. Khullar, D.R.2010: India, Human Development, 2nd edition, Kalyani Publishers,

New Delhi, pp.445-459.

10. Velkoff, Victoria A: Women’s education in India ,retrieved from,

www.census.gov.in
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11. Nayar, Usha.2004: Education, Empowerment and Empowering Women; Gender

Bias in Education, Serial publications, Delhi.

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