YSRCP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly criticized the statistics released by the Andhra Pradesh coalition government on the state’s literacy rate. Jagan questioned Education Minister Nara Lokesh’s claim that Andhra Pradesh’s literacy rate increased from 72.6% in 2024 to 82.1% in 2026.
Jagan questioned the basis for the figures and asked whom the government was trying to mislead by presenting what he described as incorrect statistics. He also questioned how the literacy rate for 2026 could already be reported as 82.1% when the calendar year has not yet been completed.
‘Where Did the 82.1% Figure Come From?’
Jagan referred to the PLFS 2023-24 Annual Report, prepared on the basis of a survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India.
According to the survey conducted from June 2023 to June 2024, the literacy rate among people aged seven years and above in Andhra Pradesh stood at 72.6%, Jagan said. He noted that the state’s literacy rate had increased from 69.1% in 2018-19 to 72.6% in 2023-24.
Jagan further pointed out that the Centre released the PLFS Calendar Year 2025 Annual Report on July 2, 2026, based on the NSSO survey conducted from January to December 2025.
According to that official report, the literacy rate among people aged seven years and above in Andhra Pradesh was only 71.4%, he said.
Against this backdrop, Jagan questioned what evidence the state government had for claiming that Andhra Pradesh’s literacy rate had increased to 82.1% in 2026.
He stated that no official institution had so far released literacy figures for the 2026 calendar year and demanded that the government explain the basis for the figures it had announced.
Enrollment Declining in Government Schools?
Jagan also claimed that statistics from UDISE, under the Union Ministry of Education, indicate that student enrollment in government schools has been declining under the coalition government, while enrollment in private schools has been increasing.
He said the government should focus on making quality education more accessible to children from economically disadvantaged families and strengthening government schools.
Instead, Jagan criticized the government for focusing on making claims based on what he described as incorrect statistics rather than addressing the actual situation in the education sector.
‘Lokesh Should Focus More on His Department’
Jagan advised Education Minister Nara Lokesh to spend more time and attention on his department instead of focusing on what he described as “Red Book governance.”
He urged the minister to review the ground realities in the education sector and take steps to increase student enrollment in government schools.
Jagan also demanded clarity on the discrepancy between the official statistics and the figures being announced by the state government.
He criticized the government for disseminating information in a manner that, according to him, could mislead the public, and said that such an approach was not appropriate.
