Statement I: In India, the differences in literacy rates between males and females are narrowing.
Statement II: With the gender gap in literacy narrowing, the need to promote education for women in India has become much less important.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Statement I is true but Statement II is false.
The gender gap in literacy is narrowing, but women’s education still needs to be promoted for many reasons.
Statement I: In India, the differences in literacy rates between males and females are narrowing. — True. This is a positive sign for gender equity in education.
Statement II: With the gender gap in literacy narrowing, the need to promote education for women in India has become much less important. — False. Promoting women’s education is still urgently needed. It improves women’s economic independence and social status, and has a good effect on the fertility rate and on the health care of women and children.
NCERT (2026-27): “4.7 Future Prospects Gender Equity — Better than Before: The differences in literacy rates between males and females are narrowing signifying a positive development in gender equity; still the need to promote education for women in India is imminent for various reasons such as improving economic independence and social status of women and also because women education makes a favourable impact on fertility rate and health care of women and children. Therefore, we cannot be complacent about the upward movement in the literacy rates and we have miles to go in achieving cent per cent adult literacy.” |