As per Census-2011, the literacy rate of Uttar Pradesh is

The correct answer is C) 67.68%. Census 2011 put Uttar Pradesh's overall literacy at 67.68%, with male literacy at about 77.28% and female literacy at about 57.18%. That gap of roughly 20 points is the number you should remember alongside the headline figure.

• A) 74.01% is wrong. It sits very close to the national literacy rate of 74.04% (Census 2011), so it is a trap for candidates who confuse the state with India as a whole.
• B) 72.60% and D) 70.60% are wrong. They are invented figures that look plausible, and neither matches the census table for UP.

The core concept is the census literacy definition: a person aged seven and above who can read and write with understanding. Literacy is reported as a percentage of the population in that age group, and the census also gives male and female rates and district-wise figures. For Mains, UP's gender gap and its low position among Indian states link to the discussion on education, women's empowerment and the reasons behind uneven human development. Census 2011 is still the latest complete census, since the 2021 enumeration was deferred.

Trap: Confusing the state figure with the national figure (74.04%) and choosing the option closest to it.