'Over 35 percent rural Indians still illiterate'

New Delhi, July 3: Over 35 percent of Indians in rural areas are illiterate, with Rajasthan home to 47.58 percent of the unlettered, Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data released on Friday said.

Rajasthan is followed by Madhya Pradesh with 44.19 percent. Bihar and Telangana, with 43.85 and 40.42 percent, hold the third and fourth place respectively in the tally, reveals the data released by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Graduates form only 3.45 percent of the rural population, with Delhi leading at 9.62 percent.

Goa, Puducherry and Kerala with 9.62, 9.48 and 7.75 percent respectively have the largest numbers of highly-educated people.

Gujarat leads the country in housing the largest number of people with primary education, the data said. It has 27.99 percent people who have completed their primary education.

In this segment, Gujarat is followed by Tripura, Dadra and Nagar Haveli with 25.93 and 24.32 percent of people respectively with primary education. The figure at the national level for primary education stands at 17.78 percent.

According to the data, Delhi and Goa have the largest number of people with higher secondary education. The figure for the same at national level stood at 5.41 percent, it added.

IANS