| India, a developing country in the third world with agrarian economy, has 72.20 percent population living in 6,40,000 villages (2001 Census). In contrast, industrially developed state Maharashtra has 57.57 percent people living in 41,095 villages. The study area, Sangli district has 721 inhabited villages carrying 1,950,306 rural people (75.49%). The rural people has a lower literacy rate (74.14%) than the literacy rate of urban population (84.17%). There is a positive correlation between the degree of economic progress and the degree of literacy. Literacy is an indispensable means to acquire skills for improving economic and social well-being. The National Adult Education Programme, the first country-wide programme launched in 1978, viewed literacy as means to bring about fundamental change in socio-economic development. It is the key to both development and population control. Sex-wise (Gender) study of literacy pattern reveals that there is a striking difference in the literacy rates between males and females. Female literacy rate is comparatively lower than that of male. In India, despite our concreted efforts in over last 60 years, only 65.38 percent of the population was reported as literate in 2001 Census, whereas female literacy was 54.16 percent. In case of rural areas, their proportions are 59.40 percent and 46.70 percent respectively. As compared to Indian Scenario, Sangli district is a progressive district, with 74.14 percent people are literate in which female literacy percentage is 62.42. Keeping this in view, in the present paper apart from analysis (micro / village level) of gender disparity in literacy, a modest attempt has been made to identity the villages, that need attention for promotion of elementary / adult education especially for women in order to reduce or eliminate female literacy in rural areas of Sangli district. |