Which one of the following Union Territories has the highest female literacy rate ?
- (a)Chandigarh
- (b)Lakshadweep
- (c)Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- (d)Puducherry
Correct — B, Lakshadweep. On the Census of 2011, which was the current census at the time of this exam, Lakshadweep recorded a female literacy rate of 87·95 per cent, the highest of any Union Territory. It also led the Union Territories on overall literacy at 91·85 per cent, with male literacy at 95·56 per cent. No other Union Territory came close on the female figure — the next best was the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 82·43 per cent, more than five percentage points behind.
- (a)Chandigarh — Chandigarh recorded 81·19 per cent female literacy in 2011, below both Lakshadweep and the Andamans. Its reputation as a prosperous planned city makes it the most tempting wrong answer, and an earlier UPSC prelims paper set a statement claiming exactly this and marked it false.
- (c)Andaman and Nicobar Islands — The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the runner-up at 82·43 per cent, with overall literacy of 86·63 per cent. Close, but the gap to Lakshadweep is a wide one.
- (d)Puducherry — Puducherry recorded 80·67 per cent female literacy against 91·26 per cent for males — the widest gender gap of the four, and the lowest female figure among them.
The decennial Census of India measures literacy among people aged seven and above. In 2011 the country's overall literacy was 74·04 per cent, with male literacy at 82·14 and female at 65·46, so a female rate near 88 per cent puts Lakshadweep far above the national picture. Among all States and Union Territories, Kerala led on female literacy at 91·07 per cent; Lakshadweep, a small island Union Territory in the Arabian Sea with a population of about 64,000, came next among the Union Territories and ahead of most States.
Data items like this move with time, so anchor the answer to its census. The figures above are from Census 2011 and were the current numbers at the April 2018 exam. Two things have changed since. The map of Union Territories is different — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became Union Territories in October 2019, and Daman and Diu was merged with Dadra and Nagar Haveli in January 2020, so where seven Union Territories existed at the time of this paper there are eight today. And the census itself has not been repeated: the enumeration due in 2021 was postponed, and the next census has been notified for 2027, so the 2011 figures quoted here are still the last published set. The answer to this item is therefore unchanged, but a candidate should quote it as a 2011 figure and not as a current one. One habit worth forming for this whole family of questions is to keep the overall, male and female rankings separate, since they need not agree — Lakshadweep happens to top the Union Territories on both overall and female literacy, but such items are often built on a case where the two rankings differ.
- Census 2011 — Lakshadweep female literacy 87·95 per cent, the highest among Union Territories.
- Lakshadweep also led the Union Territories on overall literacy, at 91·85 per cent.
- The other three options stood at 82·43 for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 81·19 for Chandigarh and 80·67 for Puducherry.
- Kerala led all States and Union Territories on female literacy in 2011, at 91·07 per cent.
- India's overall literacy in 2011 was 74·04 per cent, with a male rate of 82·14 and a female rate of 65·46.
- Assuming the richest or most urban Union Territory must lead on literacy.
- Quoting a 2011 figure as though it were current without naming the census.
- Mixing the overall literacy ranking with the female literacy ranking, which need not be the same.
NDA asks for the highest or lowest State or Union Territory on a named census indicator, and sometimes as a descending-order sequence.
Consider the following statements: 1. Sikkim has the minimum area among the 28 Indian States (Delhi and Pondicherry not included). 2. Chandigarh has the highest literacy rate among Pondicherry, NCT of Delhi and other Union Territories. 3. Maharashtra has the highest population after Uttar Pradesh among the 28 Indian States (Delhi and Pondicherry not included). Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 2 and 3
- (c) 1 only
- (d) 3 only
Answer(d) 3 only
Its second statement is the exact claim that option (a) of this item invites, and UPSC marked it false — Lakshadweep, not Chandigarh, tops the Union Territories on literacy.
In January 2020, the administration of which of the following Union Territories has been merged together?
- (a) Daman and Diu and Puducherry
- (b) Puducherry and Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- (c) Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- (d) Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
Answer(d) Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
The change that has since altered the very list this item asks a candidate to rank, and a reminder to date any Union Territory question to its year.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of total number of States and Union Territories in India?
- (a) 28 States and 8 Union Territories
- (b) 27 States and 9 Union Territories
- (c) 30 States and 6 Union Territories
- (d) 29 States and 7 Union Territories
Answer(a) 28 States and 8 Union Territories
The current count, against the seven Union Territories that existed when this 2018 paper was set — the cleanest measure of how far this topic has moved.
- practice — not a real PYQ
According to Census 2011, the State with the highest female literacy rate in India is
- (a)Tamil Nadu
- (b)Mizoram
- (c)Kerala
- (d)Goa
Answer(c) Kerala — at 91·07 per cent it led every State and Union Territory on female literacy.
- practice — not a real PYQ
How many Union Territories does India have after the changes of 2019 and 2020?
- (a)6
- (b)7
- (c)8
- (d)9
Answer(c) 8 — two were created out of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, and Daman and Diu was merged with Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 2020.