The correct answer is: a) Lower than the national average.
Assam’s literacy rate is 73.1%, which is lower than the national average of 77.7%. This means that 26.9% of the population of Assam is illiterate, compared to 22.3% of the population of India.
There are a number of factors that contribute to Assam’s low literacy rate. One factor is the state’s high poverty rate. According to the 2011 census, 29.5% of the population of Assam lived below the poverty line. This means that many people in Assam do not have access to quality education.
Another factor that contributes to Assam’s low literacy rate is the state’s large tribal population. According to the 2011 census, 13.0% of the population of Assam belonged to a Scheduled Tribe. Many tribal people in Assam live in remote areas and do not have access to quality education.
The government of Assam has taken a number of steps to improve the literacy rate in the state. These steps include:
- Opening more schools in rural areas
- Providing free education to girls
- Providing scholarships to students from poor families
- Conducting literacy campaigns
These steps have helped to improve the literacy rate in Assam, but there is still a long way to go. The government of Assam needs to continue to invest in education in order to ensure that all children in the state have access to quality education.
The other options are:
- b) Higher than the national average. This is not correct because Assam’s literacy rate is lower than the national average.
- c) Approximately the same as the national average. This is not correct because Assam’s literacy rate is significantly lower than the national average.
- d) Data not available. This is not correct because data on literacy rates is available for Assam.