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As you can see, Nizam Telangana (excluding Hyderabad) has a 48%
literacy rate, compared to 56% in Kosta and 53% in Rayalaseema. However,
these numbers do not paint a complete picture. As of 2001, Telangana region
had made significant strides in literacy. Despite initially being behind the
other two regions, Telangana region attained a substantial 778% growth
compared to the ~300% growth realized in the Kosta and the Rayalaseema
regions. Percentages, in some cases, tend to exaggerate the growth rate. Let’s
look at the absolute numbers. Between 1951 and 2001, Rayalaseema added
41 new literates for every 100 people, and Kosta region added 42 additional
literates for every 100 people, whereas Telangana added 43 literates for every
100 people. There is no denying that Telangana is behind the other regions
when it comes to the literacy rate. However, it is important to note that the
legacy of a low literacy rate in the Telangana region goes back to the Nizam’s
rule, when only 5 in 100 people could read or write.
Clearly, the statistical data on education does not back up the claims
of exploitation being trumpeted by the leaders of the separate Telangana
movement. The key takeaway of this analysis is that the Nizam Telangana
region, in education, is developing at par with the Kosta region, and despite
it, intellectuals such as Professor Jayashankar will continue to find issues by
cherry-picking the data that supports their fanatical agenda.
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