Delhi's poor not getting proper education access

Delhi should work towards providing access to education, especially at the primary level to the weaker sections of society, said a official report released here Saturday.

"Education leverage has not been available to all sections of the population equally and there is a considerable gender gap in literacy," said the Delhi Human Development Report 2013 released by Vice President Hamid Ansari along with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at a function held here.

The Scheduled Castes (SC) and Muslims have lower representation in higher education and the gross enrollment ratio levels for SCs are seen to decline gradually from the primary to the successfully higher levels of schooling, it said.

"Nearly 70 percent of the illiterate population is concentrated in slum clusters, unauthaurised and resettlement colonies and urban villages," said the report.

However, Delhi's literacy rate at around 86 percent is higher than the national average of 74 percent, added the report.

The gross enrollment ratio at primary and upper primary level is 127 and 108 percent respectively compared to the national average of 116 and 85 percent.