India being a vast and diverse nation faces a lot of problems due to the illiteracy prevailing in various parts of the nation. Illiteracy is basically defined as the inability to read and write. According to a recent UNESCO report, India has the highest number of illiterate adults which is a matter of serious concern. The major problem associated with it is the slow economic growth which in turn is stopping our country to become a developed country.
A higher literacy rate is essential for a developing nation. After all, Education is a fundamental right of each and every citizen but many areas of India are still deprived of education due to poverty. And all this gives rise to so many problems like loss of job opportunities, unemployment, an increase in crime, women dependency on men, etc. On the whole illiteracy is the root of poverty and an increase in loss of productivity in the cities. As we know that Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India whereas Haryana has the lowest literacy rate. This can be compared to employment in both cities. If people are not educated then they will definitely not be able to secure good jobs and this will lead to bad living. In the past few years, it has been observed that there has been a lot of increase in the crime rate due to increased poverty. This shows that all things are interrelated to one another and forms a cycle. According to some recent statistics in the World Education Report, Women account for 65 percent of the globe’s illiterate population. Illiteracy makes them dependent on men for earning a living standard. Women are not allowed to study due to some social, religious and cultural aspects. They are just given family responsibilities and are asked to do so.
Nowadays, our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is trying his best in transforming India into a digital nation. This is very beneficial in enhancing the economic growth of the nation but due to the high illiteracy rate in various parts of India; so many people are unable to go with the changing phase. Recently, GST came into form in order to benefit the country, but uneducated people cannot even understand it. So the application and implementation of it became tedious for them.
We must look forward to the ways which will help us in getting through the problems we are facing due to illiteracy. Some measures can be taken by the government in order to solve it like education should be made free at least until fourteen years of age, people in village areas should be made aware of the importance of education, etc.
In a nutshell, illiteracy is hindering the economic growth of the country which states that it is a matter of major concern and needs to be resolved
