RAS question
Which state has the highest literacy rate as per Census 2011?
Correct answer: (C) Kerala.
Kerala had the highest literacy rate among Indian states in Census 2011.
Explanation
Kerala is the answer because Census 2011 places it at the top of the literacy table. Kerala's literacy rate was 93.91%, the highest among the options, while Bihar was the lowest at 63.82%. The Press Information Bureau, Government of India backgrounder also confirms the ranking point: under key Census 2011 findings, it says Kerala retained the top position in literacy, with a rounded literacy rate of 94.0%. It gives the national literacy profile as 73.0%, with male literacy at 80.9% and female literacy at 64.6%, reinforcing that Kerala was far above the national level.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Goa is not the top-ranked option here; it ranked after Kerala and Lakshadweep, so it cannot replace Kerala as the highest-literacy state.
- (B) Tripura had lower literacy than Kerala, so it does not match the Census 2011 top rank asked in the question.
- (D) Mizoram had a high literacy rate, and the PIB note lists it close behind, but Kerala retained the top position in Census 2011.
Concept
This tests Census-based demographic indicators, especially state-wise literacy rankings. RAS repeats such questions because literacy is a core social-development measure in Indian geography and public policy.