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how illiteracy is a challenge to democracy?give suggestions to remove illiteracy
Illiteracy among people was a matter of grave concern for successful functioning of
democracy in India on the eve of independence and it still continues to be a major
challenge. The level of education of citizens is key to both the successful functioning
of democracy and socio-economic development of the country. And perhaps, more
importantly it is an essential condition for human dignity. But the state of formal
literacy was almost dismal when India achieved independence. The literacy rate in
1951 was mere 18.33 per cent and female literacy was negligible, 8.9 percent. It
was, therefore, feared by many that the citizens will not be able to play their roles
effectively and exercise meaningfully their right to vote which is an individual’s
expression of the power of the people.
Literacy is necessary not simply for enabling citizens to participate in elections and
exercise their right to vote effectively. It has other more important implications.
Literacy enables citizens to be aware of various issues, problems, demands, and
interests in the country, be conscious of the principles of liberty and equality of all
and ensure that the representatives elected by them truly represent all the interests
in the society. Universal literacy is therefore a must for the successful functioning of
Indian democracy. Although according to 2011 Census, the literacy rate has risen
to 74.04 per cent, the female literacy rate is still 65.46 per cent. This means that
over one fourth of the country’s population is still illiterate while among women nearly
one out of three is still illiterate .


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