In the present study, we highlight the disparity in male-female literacy with a special focus on spatial and temporal variation at the block level in Malda district of West Bengal. Despite India's achieving universal elementary education, reaching the goal of full literacy is rather difficult owing to the female illiterate populationin the district. According to the 2011 Census of India, the overall rate of literacy is 74 per cent, while for men it is 80.9 per cent and 64.6 per cent for women. In the same census, the respective literacy of Maldastood 61.73 per cent for total, 66.24 per cent for men and 56.96 per cent for females. And within that figure, nearly four-tenths of males are illiterate, compared with more than a sixth-tenth of the female. This paper also makes an attemptat mapping out the comparative analysis of male-female literacy disparity and best possible reasons responsible for the existence of any such disparity. Based on secondary sources of data, the study has used Sopher method to calculate disparity among male-female and Coefficient of Variation to assess intra-block variation of disparity from 1991 to 2011. The study brings out the fact that after 1991 swift decline in the disparity of literacy have found and, up to 2011 intra-block variation also minimised by five times. The study suggestsmaking an effort about the new strategies and appropriate programmes like universal elementary education in order to realize the goal of full literacy and result in bridging the gap between male and female. The accomplishment of universal elementary education, achieving the goal of full literacy isa grievous job, owing to the existence of an out-of-school-age illiterate population especially the girls ’child. The study also suggests the provision of an effective adult-literacy programme witha focus on school left-out female above the age group of thirty.
Disparity, universal elementary education, literacy, female literacy
