Literacy rate: Kerala on top, Delhi 2nd, Andhra worst

Kerala has retained its top spot in the literacy rate ranking in India. The southern state has a 96.2% literacy rate and is followed by Delhi at 89%, the data from a report on education released by the National Statistical Office revealed. While southern states are commonly assumed to be better in literacy, Andhra Pradesh has turned out to be an outlier. The state ranks lowest in all states with just 66.4% literacy. This is much lower than the national average of 77.7%. Not only that, it also fares badly in comparison to poor and backwards states such as Bihar and UP. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand and Assam are on No. 3 and 4 with 87.6% and 85.9% respectively.