Identify the correct sequence of states according to the highest to lowest literacy rate (Census of India, 2011).
- (a)Kerala, Mizoram, Tripura, Goa
- (b)Kerala, Tripura, Mizoram, Goa
- (c)Kerala, Goa, Tripura, Mizoram
- (d)Kerala, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura
Correct — D, Kerala, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura. Among Indian states, the Census of India 2011 literacy-rate ranking runs Kerala (highest, close to India's top state figure) > Mizoram > Goa > Tripura — all four rank among the very highest-literacy states in the country, well above the national average.
- (a)Kerala, Mizoram, Tripura, Goa — This swaps the 3rd and 4th positions — Goa's 2011 literacy rate is actually higher than Tripura's, not lower.
- (b)Kerala, Tripura, Mizoram, Goa — This wrongly ranks Tripura in 2nd place — Mizoram is the state with the 2nd-highest literacy rate after Kerala, not Tripura.
- (c)Kerala, Goa, Tripura, Mizoram — This wrongly places Goa 2nd and Mizoram last — Mizoram actually ranks just behind Kerala as the 2nd-most literate state, well ahead of Goa and Tripura.
The Census of India records each state's literacy rate — the share of the population aged 7 and above who can read and write. In the 2011 Census, Kerala topped all states, with Mizoram, Goa and Tripura rounding out the top four — all comfortably above the national average.
MPPSC frequently tests these state rankings from Census 2011 (literacy, sex ratio, density) — once Kerala's number-one spot is locked in, the trap is getting the order among the next few high-literacy states (Mizoram, Goa, Tripura) wrong.
- Kerala has topped India's state literacy-rate rankings for decades, including in the 2011 Census
- Mizoram ranks 2nd among states in the 2011 Census literacy rate
- Goa and Tripura follow at 3rd and 4th, both also well above the national average
- India's overall literacy rate in the 2011 Census was about 74%
The correct descending order is Kerala > Mizoram > Goa > Tripura, i.e. option (d).
- Assuming only Kerala's number-one rank is worth memorising — MPPSC tests the full top-4 order
- Confusing Goa's and Tripura's relative ranks
MPPSC often asks for the exact descending or ascending order of states on a Census 2011 indicator (literacy, sex ratio, density) rather than just naming the single topper — memorise short ranked lists, not just the number-one 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 > Mizoram > Goa > Nagaland (female literacy, 1991 Census).
UPSC 1997 tested the identical 'descending order of states by literacy' pattern, with three of the same four states (Kerala, Mizoram, Goa) occupying nearly the same top ranks, for female literacy per the 1991 Census.
MPPSC_2022_PRE_PaperI_Q532022According 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
Answer(a) Mizoram
MPPSC's own 2022 paper tested this exact same Census-2011 state-literacy theme, again featuring Mizoram and Goa among the options.
- practice — not a real PYQ
As per the Census of India 2011, which state recorded the highest literacy rate in the country?
- (a)Kerala
- (b)Mizoram
- (c)Goa
- (d)Tamil Nadu
Answer(a) Kerala.
- practice — not a real PYQ
As per the Census of India 2011, which state recorded the highest sex ratio (females per 1,000 males) among Indian states?
- (a)Kerala
- (b)Puducherry
- (c)Tamil Nadu
- (d)Andhra Pradesh
Answer(a) Kerala — Kerala recorded India's highest sex ratio among states in the 2011 Census.