From the Archives (April 15, 1971): Slow growth of literacy(From an editorial)

Thanks to the use of computers, the results of the census taken at the beginning of this month are already coming in. Those who are alarmed by the growth of population will be pleased to find that the actual figure is 14 millions less than anticipated. Whether this is due to family planning or a higher death rate than originally projected will have to be sorted out. It may also be that several heads have not been counted. In any case, the population figure of 547 millions is big enough to give pause to those who are trying to guide the national economy and create more employment. But foreign commentators who seek to compare India and China with the United States or Russia should note that it makes better sense to make the comparison with a long-settled area like Europe west of the Soviet Union, which is also heavily populated. Of all the census figures, those relating to literacy will be of major interest, since the progress of the country depends heavily on the attainment of a high rate of literacy. The Education Commission of 1964 thought that with a massive campaign of adult education India might reach a literacy percentage of 60 by 1971 but only half that figure has been realised.