LITERACY AND BACKWARDNESS OF MUSLIMS IN MALDA DISTRICT: A PLANNING APPROACH FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Literacy is one of the basic determinants of socio‐economic development attained by a human group. Higher literacy rate brings social change, cultural advancement and economic development, in reverse socio‐cultural and economic constraints severally hinder the expansion of mass literacy across the region as well as religious community. The present deductive approach of research aims at examining the reciprocal relationship between literacy and socio‐economic determinants as the consequence of backwardness of Muslim community in Malda district. The paper quantitatively proves that higher literacy rate reduces number of 0‐6 population and growth of population; however it is an impetus to higher urbanization and employment which are the testimonies of human development. Finally, paper concludes with some suggestive remarks to enhance the Muslim literacy which is an ultimate solution of reduction of existing human group disparities of socioeconomic development in the district.