Education Scenario: A Study of Malwa Region

In India, education is provided by the public sector as well as private sector, with control and funding at three levels: federal, state and local. Education in India falls under the control of both union government and the states, with some responsibilities lying with the union and the states having autonomy for others. Education has been made too easy for the students so that more and more students can enter into the scope of education system of the country. The announcements like abolishing compulsory CBSE board exams for Class 10th from session 2010-11, introduction of grading system, the passage of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, reservation policies etc. are a few efforts taken by the government. Now the question arises as to what extent such efforts in the field of education have succeeded in different states of the country. Punjab is served by several institutions of higher education, including 32 universities which provide undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all the major arts, humanities, science, engineering, law, medicine, veterinary science, and business. Primary and secondary education systems are mainly affiliated to Punjab School Education Board. According to the 2011 Indian Census, the population of Punjab is 27,704,236 (males 14,634,819&females 13,069,417). The literacy rate is 75%, male literacy being 80.23% and female literacy 68.36%. The present paper is an attempt to study the literacy level of the male and female in the various districts of Malwa region of the Punjab. This paper concludes that literacy rate in Punjab increased to 76.7% as per 2011 census, out of which maximum literacy rate has been found in the district Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) (83.8%) and the lowest in district of Mansa (62.8%) of Malwa region. Male-female literacy rate shows an improvement sign. Sex ratio improved in all the districts of Punjab but found to be maximum in the district of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshar) (95%).