The world observes International Literacy Day every year on September 8, under the leadership of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The aim is to spread awareness about the importance of education in today's life and to tackle the problem of illiteracy. For 2025, the theme of this day is “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era”. It tells us about how important it is to give people the skills they need to thrive in today’s technology-driven world and make sure that everyone should know about this.&nbsp;Even though technology has advanced rapidly, but still there are millions of people that still cannot properly read or write. This is the reason why this day is a strong reminder for everyone of the ongoing global effort to achieve literacy for all.&nbsp;<h2>International Literacy Day 2025 theme</h2>Each year on September 8, UNESCO selects a theme for this day to highlight the current challenges, people facing in their life. This year’s theme, “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era”, focuses on reducing the digital gap and showing how literacy can help communities to learn Tech in the age of artificial intelligence and modern technology.<h2>Which state in India has highest literacy rate (2024)?</h2>According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24, Mizoram is now the most literate state in India with a 98.2% literacy rate, moving ahead of Kerala. Kerala, once the top state, is now fourth with 95.3% literacy. Among Union Territories, Lakshadweep leads with 97.3% literacy. Mizoram’s progress on this list is the result of long-term education campaigns and active participation from local communities.&nbsp;<h3>Top five states/UTs with the highest literacy rates in India (2024)</h3>Here's a look at the top five states or UTs in India with highest literacy rate. Surprisingly, Mizoram surpasses Kerala, to achieve the top position.

<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Rank.</td><td>State/UT</td><td>Total Literacy Rate (%)</td></tr><tr><td>1.</td><td>Mizoram</td><td>98.2%</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>Lakshadweep</td><td>97.3%</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>Nagaland</td><td>95.7%</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>Kerala</td><td>95.3%</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>Meghalaya</td><td>94.2%</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>Tripura</td><td>93.7%</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>Chandigarh</td><td>93.7%</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>Goa</td><td>93.6%</td></tr><tr><td>9.</td><td>Puducherry</td><td>92.7%</td></tr><tr><td>10.</td><td>Manipur</td><td>92%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

The aim of this day is to spread awareness about the importance of education in today's life and to tackle the problem of illiteracy. 

The world observes International Literacy Day every year on September 8, under the leadership of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The aim is to spread awareness about the importance of education in today's life and to tackle the problem of illiteracy. For 2025, the theme of this day is “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era”. It tells us about how important it is to give people the skills they need to thrive in today’s technology-driven world and make sure that everyone should know about this. Even though technology has advanced rapidly, but still there are millions of people that still cannot properly read or write. This is the reason why this day is a strong reminder for everyone of the ongoing global effort to achieve literacy for all. International Literacy Day 2025 theme Each year on September 8, UNESCO selects a theme for this day to highlight the current challenges, people facing in their life. This year’s theme, “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era”, focuses on reducing the digital gap and showing how literacy can help communities to learn Tech in the age of artificial intelligence and modern technology. Which state in India has highest literacy rate (2024)? According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24, Mizoram is now the most literate state in India with a 98.2% literacy rate, moving ahead of Kerala. Kerala, once the top state, is now fourth with 95.3% literacy. Among Union Territories, Lakshadweep leads with 97.3% literacy. Mizoram’s progress on this list is the result of long-term education campaigns and active participation from local communities. Top five states/UTs with the highest literacy rates in India (2024) Here's a look at the top five states or UTs in India with highest literacy rate. Surprisingly, Mizoram surpasses Kerala, to achieve the top position.

The aim of this day is to spread awareness about the importance of education in today's life and to tackle the problem of illiteracy.&nbsp;

International Literacy Day: Which state in India has highest literacy rate? Kerala is fourth, check who tops list

Every year International Literacy Day is celebrated on September 8 worldwide. It marks an annual reminder about the significance of education and how literacy is a fundamental aspect of human dignity and rights. Here's is list of top 7 nations with a low literacy rate.

Every year International Literacy Day is celebrated on September 8 worldwide. It marks an annual reminder about the significance of education and how literacy is a fundamental aspect of human dignity and rights. Here's is list of top 7 nations with a low literacy rate.

International Literacy Day 2025: Top 7 countries with the lowest literacy levels in the world

International Literacy Day is celebrated annually on September 8 to highlight the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.

Literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million youngsters and adults lacking basic literacy skills.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, 617 million children and adolescents have not achieved a basic proficiency level in reading and writing.&nbsp;

History

World Literacy Day has been celebrated since 1967 as a reminder of the significance of literacy as a basic human right and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Literacy opens a world of opportunities. 
 
Everyone has the right to learn how to read and write, but far too many women &amp; girls continue to be left behind. 
 
As we mark <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiteracyDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiteracyDay</a>, let's renew our commitment to equitable education for all. <a href="https://t.co/oTWf9bUMhi">pic.twitter.com/oTWf9bUMhi</a>
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1435440756634890241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Key component

Literacy is a key component of the United Nation's Sustainable Goals and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Basic digital skills have become essential to access life-saving information. Yet, over half of the world’s population lack those skills. 
 
On Wednesday's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiteracyDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiteracyDay</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/UNESCO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNESCO</a> calls for increased efforts to expand literacy &amp; digital skills for all. <a href="https://t.co/4d2GI9Wr3U">https://t.co/4d2GI9Wr3U</a> <a href="https://t.co/MP4eL6PWOk">pic.twitter.com/MP4eL6PWOk</a>
— United Nations (@UN) <a href="https://twitter.com/UN/status/1435453842968174596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Disruption due to pandemic

The learning of children had been disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic at an unprecedented scale. Out of 1.09 billion,&nbsp;62.3 per cent of the world's total student population&nbsp;suffered in its&nbsp;initial stage.

The pre-existing inequalities in access to meaningful literacy learning opportunities have been magnified by the COVID-19 crisis.

The persistent digital divide infrastructure, connectivity was highlighted amid the rapid shift to distance learning amid the lockdowns all across the world during the pandemic.

Theme for International Literacy Day 2021

The theme of International Literacy Day 2021, is “Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.”

Exploring the contribution of literacy towards building a foundation, International Literacy Day 2021 will focus on the interplay of literacy and digital skills required by both non-literate youngsters and adults.&nbsp;

It will analyse what makes literacy enabled by technology inclusive and meaningful without discrimination and leaving anybody behind. 
&nbsp;

International Literacy Day is celebrated annually on September 8 to highlight the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. Literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million youngsters and adults lacking basic literacy skills.

International Literacy Day is celebrated annually on September 8 to highlight the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights. Literacy challenges persist with at least 773 million youngsters and adults lacking basic literacy skills. Meanwhile, 617 million children and adolescents have not achieved a basic proficiency level in reading and writing. History World Literacy Day has been celebrated since 1967 as a reminder of the significance of literacy as a basic human right and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society. Literacy opens a world of opportunities. Everyone has the right to learn how to read and write, but far too many women & girls continue to be left behind. As we mark #LiteracyDay, let's renew our commitment to equitable education for all. pic.twitter.com/oTWf9bUMhi — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 8, 2021 × Key component Literacy is a key component of the United Nation's Sustainable Goals and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Basic digital skills have become essential to access life-saving information. Yet, over half of the world’s population lack those skills. On Wednesday's #LiteracyDay, @UNESCO calls for increased efforts to expand literacy & digital skills for all. https://t.co/4d2GI9Wr3U pic.twitter.com/MP4eL6PWOk — United Nations (@UN) September 8, 2021 × Disruption due to pandemic The learning of children had been disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic at an unprecedented scale. Out of 1.09 billion, 62.3 per cent of the world's total student population suffered in its initial stage. The pre-existing inequalities in access to meaningful literacy learning opportunities have been magnified by the COVID-19 crisis. The persistent digital divide infrastructure, connectivity was highlighted amid the rapid shift to distance learning amid the lockdowns all across the world during the pandemic. Theme for International Literacy Day 2021 The theme of International Literacy Day 2021, is “Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.” Exploring the contribution of literacy towards building a foundation, International Literacy Day 2021 will focus on the interplay of literacy and digital skills required by both non-literate youngsters and adults. It will analyse what makes literacy enabled by technology inclusive and meaningful without discrimination and leaving anybody behind.

International Literacy Day 2021: Relevance, history and themes across the world

Half a century ago, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared September 8 as the International Literacy Day. The aim was to emphasise the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. Over the years and across the globe, national governments, individuals and private organisations have harped on the significance of raising public awareness about the extraordinary value of written words. The ability to read and write, which some of us are so effortlessly introduced to by our families, is still a rare skill among 775 million adults worldwide, that is, one in five adults are still not literate and two-thirds of them are women.

Coming of books: Printing presses, mass literacy and inequities 
The persistence of high rate of illiteracy is astounding, particularly, because printed books over the past five&nbsp;hundred years or so have helped significantly to democratise knowledge acquisition. Ever since the arrival of movable-type printing in Europe in the fifteenth century, it very gradually liberated knowledge from the confines of the monasteries and made it accessible beyond the circle of the cultural elites. The concept of mass literacy is, thus, a very modern one; its evolution is tied not only to popularisation of democratic values but also to the technological innovation that took place in the domain of book printing.&nbsp;

As printed books reached the market in ever larger numbers, it opened up entire new possibilities about how one learnt. From then on, at least potentially, one could self-tutor without having to either join a religious establishment or even a university. Protestant religious leaders encouraged parents to gain education and pass on the knowledge to their offsprings through home tutoring. Public libraries sprang up, supplementing the private libraries of the rich and the powerful. Such accessible and cheap reading spaces encouraged private reading and studies. So, printing presses joined hands with universities and a growing body of teaching community to revolutionise the literacy-scape of Europe.

However, the progressive impact printing had on enhancing the mass literacy rate worldwide, particularly, in the global south had been repeatedly compromised by deep seated socio-economic inequities. Literacy rate varies by region; UNESCO reports that South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the most illiterate people in the world. Literacy rates also vary based on sex, wealth, social status, and occupation. More men are literate than women, the wealthy can access schools easier than poor, farmers, labourers and artisans are historically known to suffer from illiteracy significantly more than the merchant communities. In countries with deep social divides, such as India, caste combines with class position to keep children of lower castes and Dalits out of schools.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Educate, agitate and organize&rdquo;: Education and social slavery 
BR Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution of India and the undisputed leader of the Dalit community in India, consistently reiterated the transformative&nbsp;value of education. Critiquing British policy for restricting education to only members of the upper stratum of the Indian society, particularly the Brahmins, Ambedkar argued, &ldquo;Education is something which ought to be brought within the reach of everyone&rdquo;. Ambedkar shared educationist John Dewey&rsquo;s understanding that, education provides everyone, irrespective of the person&rsquo;s social and economic status, with the means to change the world and not merely to understand it.&nbsp;

Convinced, as was Dewey, that the forward march of democracy is crucially dependent on educating the people to help them understand social realities, Ambedkar emphasised that Dalits should forego no opportunities of getting educated. In a very moving message he called out, &ldquo;We may forego material benefits, but we cannot forego our rights and opportunities to reap the benefits of highest education to the fullest extent&rdquo;.&nbsp;

To realise his vision of an independent India in which there are educational opportunities for all, Ambedkar deliberately included Article 45 in the Directive Principles of State&nbsp;Policy:&nbsp;&ldquo;The state shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.&rdquo; Along with ensuring universal literacy, Ambedkar established the People&rsquo;s Education Society (PES) in 1946 to propagate higher education among the Dalits. He hoped that PES would serve the purpose of promoting intellectual, moral and social democracy beyond the narrow scope of literacy as a standard skill.&nbsp;

National Book Trust: Literacy as empowerment and its challenges 
Books have been vital to achieve literacy, not simply to enhance the use of skills and improve the quality of life and livelihood, but also as mean of empowerment. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India and an avid reader himself, understood the importance of reading to enhance the quality of national life. To ensure that citizens of India could get good quality books at inexpensive prices, he set up the National Book Trust of India (NBT) in 1957, within a decade after India&rsquo;s independence.&nbsp;

Nehru hoped to make NBT a bureaucracy-free structure which would be publishing for ordinary Indian citizens in both English and in the vernacular. NBT&rsquo;s primary goal has been to inculcate reading habit through publication of &ldquo;outstanding&rdquo; books of &ldquo;modern knowledge&rdquo; as well as literary work - both foreign and Indian. In many ways, the books published by NBT has helped readers, such as me, to interpret literacy as an empowering experience.&nbsp;The concept of literacy has evolved over the last 50 years and true to the spirit of Ambedkar and Nehru, NBT had been trying to publish works that would help us to understand and question the world as well as problematise social structures and the exercise of power.&nbsp;

But like all good dreams revolving around nation-building, NBT has recently floundered in the rocky terrain of ideological power politics. Keeping to the trend of the last few years, the management of NBT has recently decided not to reprint historian Bipan Chandra&rsquo;s Communalism-A Primer. Chandra was one of the foremost historians of India who passionately wrote about communalism, which he considered to be a scourge in the national history of the subcontinent. 
 
Having witnessed the devastating impact of Hindu-Muslim riots during the political partition of India, Chandra was deeply concerned about the impact communalism would have on secular fabric of independent India. He was thus a relentless critic of majoritarian politics, raising concerns at the alienation felt by minority communities in face of Hindu nationalism.

I called up the chairman of NBT, Baldeo Bhai Sharma, to seek a better understanding of the reasons behind taking Communalism out of circulation. Mr Sharma is a veteran editor who has in the past served as the editor of national weekly Panchjanya of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Sharma trivialised the incident as a &ldquo;routine&rdquo; procedure. He insisted that a review committee looked into it and Bipan Chandra&rsquo;s primer on communalism was one among many other books that have been discontinued. When I asked Mr Sharma what are the other books that did not make it to the press this year, he did not have an answer and dropped the call.

Without an official explanation from the NBT I turned to Prof Mridula Mukherjee, who had been Chandra&rsquo;s student and is a celebrated historian herself. She was, understandably, very shocked. She constantly asked how could NBT, being a public body, decide to stop reprinting a book without giving adequate explanation. She, however, at the same time laments that this has become the current trend in the literary world.

When asked why she thinks NBT decided to stop Chandra&rsquo;s book when there is no dearth of books on communalism in the Indian context, her explanation was that, unlike the others books whose main target audience are research scholars, the primer on communalism focused on ordinary people. Thus, the intellectual reach of the book was immeasurably larger than, say, a book such as Gyan Pandey&rsquo;s Construction of Communalism in Colonial North India.

Though the idea of communalism is complex, Chandra made sure it was expressed in the simplest of language, without any rhetoric or jargon. It was meant to explain to the common men, women, and youth of India the danger posed by communalism. Chandra was untiring in his exhortation that communalism - no matter how well it masquerades itself as nationalism - is at the end harmful for the unity and prosperity of the country. Prof Mridula Mukherjee posited that the present power in Delhi obviously did not like Chandra&rsquo;s exhortations and, hence, the decision to stop its republication.

Thus, Chandra&rsquo;s book got withdrawn by the very organisation which was formed to serve the broader goals of literacy and, more importantly, for embodying the very essence of literacy which teaches you to question power.&nbsp;

Dr Mridula Mukherjee, who herself has served in the editorial board of NBT, repeatedly pointed out that &ldquo;never ever&rdquo; in the past has the publication house taken such an abrupt decision to withdraw a scholar&rsquo;s work. So she demands that NBT must have the honesty to come out with the &ldquo;real&rdquo; reason behind such a decision. She thinks, as a scholar, that Bipan Chandra&rsquo;s book cannot simply be dismissed as another textbook that is easily replaceable by another well-written one. The significance of Chandra&rsquo;s book lies in the fact that it taught ordinary Indians, with basic education, to recognise communalism and identify the negative stereotypes it creates in popular imagination.&nbsp;

On the World Literacy Day, we have to remind ourselves that each time we decide to ban, burn or refuse to publish a book, we defeat the very liberating principle of expanding literacy that we are supposed to uphold.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Each time we ban, burn or refuse to publish a book, we defeat the very liberating principle of literacy

Half a century ago, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared September 8 as the International Literacy Day. The aim was to emphasise the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. Over the years and across the globe, national governments, individuals and private organisations have harped on the significance of raising public awareness about the extraordinary value of written words. The ability to read and write, which some of us are so effortlessly introduced to by our families, is still a rare skill among 775 million adults worldwide, that is, one in five adults are still not literate and two-thirds of them are women. Coming of books: Printing presses, mass literacy and inequities The persistence of high rate of illiteracy is astounding, particularly, because printed books over the past five hundred years or so have helped significantly to democratise knowledge acquisition. Ever since the arrival of movable-type printing in Europe in the fifteenth century, it very gradually liberated knowledge from the confines of the monasteries and made it accessible beyond the circle of the cultural elites. The concept of mass literacy is, thus, a very modern one; its evolution is tied not only to popularisation of democratic values but also to the technological innovation that took place in the domain of book printing. As printed books reached the market in ever larger numbers, it opened up entire new possibilities about how one learnt. From then on, at least potentially, one could self-tutor without having to either join a religious establishment or even a university. Protestant religious leaders encouraged parents to gain education and pass on the knowledge to their offsprings through home tutoring. Public libraries sprang up, supplementing the private libraries of the rich and the powerful. Such accessible and cheap reading spaces encouraged private reading and studies. So, printing presses joined hands with universities and a growing body of teaching community to revolutionise the literacy-scape of Europe. However, the progressive impact printing had on enhancing the mass literacy rate worldwide, particularly, in the global south had been repeatedly compromised by deep seated socio-economic inequities. Literacy rate varies by region; UNESCO reports that South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the most illiterate people in the world. Literacy rates also vary based on sex, wealth, social status, and occupation. More men are literate than women, the wealthy can access schools easier than poor, farmers, labourers and artisans are historically known to suffer from illiteracy significantly more than the merchant communities. In countries with deep social divides, such as India, caste combines with class position to keep children of lower castes and Dalits out of schools. “Educate, agitate and organize”: Education and social slavery BR Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution of India and the undisputed leader of the Dalit community in India, consistently reiterated the transformative value of education. Critiquing British policy for restricting education to only members of the upper stratum of the Indian society, particularly the Brahmins, Ambedkar argued, “Education is something which ought to be brought within the reach of everyone”. Ambedkar shared educationist John Dewey’s understanding that, education provides everyone, irrespective of the person’s social and economic status, with the means to change the world and not merely to understand it. Convinced, as was Dewey, that the forward march of democracy is crucially dependent on educating the people to help them understand social realities, Ambedkar emphasised that Dalits should forego no opportunities of getting educated. In a very moving message he called out, “We may forego material benefits, but we cannot forego our rights and opportunities to reap the benefits of highest education to the fullest extent”. To realise his vision of an independent India in which there are educational opportunities for all, Ambedkar deliberately included Article 45 in the Directive Principles of State Policy: “The state shall endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.” Along with ensuring universal literacy, Ambedkar established the People’s Education Society (PES) in 1946 to propagate higher education among the Dalits. He hoped that PES would serve the purpose of promoting intellectual, moral and social democracy beyond the narrow scope of literacy as a standard skill. National Book Trust: Literacy as empowerment and its challenges Books have been vital to achieve literacy, not simply to enhance the use of skills and improve the quality of life and livelihood, but also as mean of empowerment. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India and an avid reader himself, understood the importance of reading to enhance the quality of national life. To ensure that citizens of India could get good quality books at inexpensive prices, he set up the National Book Trust of India (NBT) in 1957, within a decade after India’s independence. Nehru hoped to make NBT a bureaucracy-free structure which would be publishing for ordinary Indian citizens in both English and in the vernacular. NBT’s primary goal has been to inculcate reading habit through publication of “outstanding” books of “modern knowledge” as well as literary work - both foreign and Indian. In many ways, the books published by NBT has helped readers, such as me, to interpret literacy as an empowering experience. The concept of literacy has evolved over the last 50 years and true to the spirit of Ambedkar and Nehru, NBT had been trying to publish works that would help us to understand and question the world as well as problematise social structures and the exercise of power. But like all good dreams revolving around nation-building, NBT has recently floundered in the rocky terrain of ideological power politics. Keeping to the trend of the last few years, the management of NBT has recently decided not to reprint historian Bipan Chandra’s Communalism-A Primer. Chandra was one of the foremost historians of India who passionately wrote about communalism, which he considered to be a scourge in the national history of the subcontinent. Having witnessed the devastating impact of Hindu-Muslim riots during the political partition of India, Chandra was deeply concerned about the impact communalism would have on secular fabric of independent India. He was thus a relentless critic of majoritarian politics, raising concerns at the alienation felt by minority communities in face of Hindu nationalism. I called up the chairman of NBT, Baldeo Bhai Sharma, to seek a better understanding of the reasons behind taking Communalism out of circulation. Mr Sharma is a veteran editor who has in the past served as the editor of national weekly Panchjanya of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Sharma trivialised the incident as a “routine” procedure. He insisted that a review committee looked into it and Bipan Chandra’s primer on communalism was one among many other books that have been discontinued. When I asked Mr Sharma what are the other books that did not make it to the press this year, he did not have an answer and dropped the call. Without an official explanation from the NBT I turned to Prof Mridula Mukherjee, who had been Chandra’s student and is a celebrated historian herself. She was, understandably, very shocked. She constantly asked how could NBT, being a public body, decide to stop reprinting a book without giving adequate explanation. She, however, at the same time laments that this has become the current trend in the literary world. When asked why she thinks NBT decided to stop Chandra’s book when there is no dearth of books on communalism in the Indian context, her explanation was that, unlike the others books whose main target audience are research scholars, the primer on communalism focused on ordinary people. Thus, the intellectual reach of the book was immeasurably larger than, say, a book such as Gyan Pandey’s Construction of Communalism in Colonial North India. Though the idea of communalism is complex, Chandra made sure it was expressed in the simplest of language, without any rhetoric or jargon. It was meant to explain to the common men, women, and youth of India the danger posed by communalism. Chandra was untiring in his exhortation that communalism - no matter how well it masquerades itself as nationalism - is at the end harmful for the unity and prosperity of the country. Prof Mridula Mukherjee posited that the present power in Delhi obviously did not like Chandra’s exhortations and, hence, the decision to stop its republication. Thus, Chandra’s book got withdrawn by the very organisation which was formed to serve the broader goals of literacy and, more importantly, for embodying the very essence of literacy which teaches you to question power. Dr Mridula Mukherjee, who herself has served in the editorial board of NBT, repeatedly pointed out that “never ever” in the past has the publication house taken such an abrupt decision to withdraw a scholar’s work. So she demands that NBT must have the honesty to come out with the “real” reason behind such a decision. She thinks, as a scholar, that Bipan Chandra’s book cannot simply be dismissed as another textbook that is easily replaceable by another well-written one. The significance of Chandra’s book lies in the fact that it taught ordinary Indians, with basic education, to recognise communalism and identify the negative stereotypes it creates in popular imagination. On the World Literacy Day, we have to remind ourselves that each time we decide to ban, burn or refuse to publish a book, we defeat the very liberating principle of expanding literacy that we are supposed to uphold.

Politics of knowledge: World literacy, banned books and power regimes

international-literacy-day

International Literacy Day, News on International Literacy Day, stories on International Literacy Day, articles on International Literacy Day, International Literacy Day stories at Wion, International Literacy Day news, International Literacy Day latest news

international literacy-day

International Literacy Day: Which state in India has highest literacy rate? Kerala is fourth, check who tops list

Top 7 countries with the lowest literacy levels in the world

International Literacy Day 2021: Relevance, history and themes across the world

Politics of knowledge: World literacy, banned books and power regimes