Educational status of Muslims continues to remain backward

Despite the many schemes to woo the Muslim vote bank in the state, the com-munity's educational and social status continues to remain backward. The level of education among Muslims. in urban areas of the state, is very low and is worse than most other states in the country. According to a government sample survey, the drop-out rate among urban Muslim girls at the Intermediate level is as high as 80 per cent. A sample survey by the National Sample Survey Organisation has come up with some bleak results. According to the survey. only about 1 per cent of urban Muslims in the state are post-graduates while only about 7 per cent are graduates, which is among the worst records in the country. Almost 27 per cent of urban Muslims in the state. sampled by the NSSO. are illiterate. Only West Bengal and Jharkhand are behind Andhra Pradesh. While the deputy chair-man of planning commis-
Drop out rates among urban Muslim girls

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, contended that the NSSO sample survey data didn't reflect the real picture, experts say that it still shows what needs to be done. The NSSO surveyed about 9.000 Hindus and 2.000 Muslims in the urban areas of the state. Minorities other than
High School (in percentage) 51 31 26 60 47
Higher secondary (in percentage) 81 85 69 83 67
Only about 1 per cent of urban Muslims in the state are post-graduates while about 7 per cent are graduates, which is among the worst rate in the country. Almost 27 per cent of Muslims in the state are illiterate.
Muslims, on the other hand, seem to be faring better in the state with the level of education among religious groups like Christians being higher than that of Hindus. Christians also seem to have more graduates than Hindus in urban areas of the state. Almost 50 per cent of Muslim girls drop out after high school while another 80 per cent drop out after Higher Secondary educa-tion. And while dropout rates among urban Muslims in other states are also high. most of these states have a better record in sending Muslim high-school girls to the Higher Secondary The national average is also better than that in the state.