Title: Educational attainment in educationally backward states of India: some implications for the Right to Education Act

Authors: Tushar Agrawal

Addresses: Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Gen Vaidya Marg, Santosh Nagar, Goregaon (E), Mumbai – 400065, India

Abstract: This paper presents estimates of educational attainment and educational inequality for educationally backward states in India. Using multiple rounds of nationally representative household surveys carried out by the National Sample Survey Organisation of India, we estimate average years of schooling and the education Gini index. The estimates show that educational attainment is very low and the extent of inequality is high in all the states. The study adds to the evidence on large gender inequalities in educational attainment in the states of Bihar and Rajasthan. The results are very distressed for disadvantaged social groups of the society. There is a need to give attention on education of females belonging to these social groups, particularly in rural areas, to make the Right to Education Act successful.

Keywords: educational attainment; educational inequality; Right to Education Act; India; average years of schooling; education Gini index; gender inequalities; disadvantaged social groups; female education; education of women; rural areas.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEED.2013.054104

International Journal of Education Economics and Development, 2013 Vol.4 No.1, pp.89 - 99

Received: 29 May 2012
Accepted: 21 Dec 2012
Published online: 10 May 2014 *

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