According to the 2011 Census, which of the following States has the highest (percentage) female literacy rate?
- (a)Mizoram
- (b)Goa
- (c)Himachal Pradesh
- (d)Maharashtra
Correct — A, Mizoram. As per the 2011 Census, Mizoram recorded one of the highest female literacy rates among Indian States — around 89% — second only to Kerala nationally, and well ahead of Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra.
- (b)Goa — Goa's female literacy rate was high but distinctly lower than Mizoram's.
- (c)Himachal Pradesh — HP has a strong overall literacy record, but its female literacy rate trailed Mizoram's.
- (d)Maharashtra — A large, urbanised State with a respectable literacy rate, but well below Mizoram's female literacy figure.
Female literacy rate is the percentage of females aged 7 and above who can read and write, as measured by the Census — a key human-development indicator tracked separately from the combined (male+female) literacy rate. North-Eastern States such as Mizoram, with a long history of mission-run schooling, and Kerala, with historic social-reform and land-literacy movements, have consistently topped this metric ahead of larger, more populous mainland States.
Don't equate the female-literacy topper with the OVERALL-literacy topper — they can differ in composition even if the same State tops both. Kerala tops overall literacy nationally; Mizoram is typically the runner-up on both counts and becomes the answer whenever a question's options omit Kerala, as here.
- Mizoram recorded one of India's highest female literacy rates in the 2011 Census, around 89%.
- Kerala has the highest OVERALL literacy rate nationally, with Mizoram close behind on most literacy metrics.
- Female literacy is tracked as a separate Census indicator from combined literacy.
2011 Census: female literacy-rate ranking among these four States.
- Mixing up the female-literacy topper among non-Kerala options (Mizoram) with the overall-literacy topper (Kerala)
- Assuming a large, developed State like Maharashtra must top a literacy metric
MPPSC/UPSC regularly ask for State rankings by a Census metric — literacy (overall/female/male), sex ratio, density or growth rate — often excluding Kerala from the options to test whether students know the SECOND-ranked State.
What is the correct sequence of the descending order of the following States in respect of female literacy rates as per the 1991 Census? I. Mizoram II. Kerala III. Goa IV. Nagaland Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
- (a) II, III, I, IV
- (b) II, I, III, IV
- (c) II, III, IV, I
- (d) I, II, IV, III
Answer(b) II, I, III, IV — Kerala, then Mizoram, then Goa, then Nagaland.
Same concept a census earlier (1991) — Mizoram's consistently high female literacy rate, ranked just behind Kerala's.
- practice — not a real PYQ
As per the 2011 Census, which State recorded India's highest OVERALL literacy rate?
- (a)Mizoram
- (b)Kerala
- (c)Goa
- (d)Tripura
Answer(b) Kerala — India's highest overall literacy rate per the 2011 Census.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of these North-Eastern States recorded one of India's highest female literacy rates in the 2011 Census?
- (a)Mizoram
- (b)Arunachal Pradesh
- (c)Assam
- (d)Manipur
Answer(a) Mizoram — among the highest female literacy rates nationally, just behind Kerala.