New Delhi: The number of educated prisoners across the country has increased in 2019 by 5,614 to 4.78 lakh, according to a report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
In 2018, out of 4,66,084 inmates, the number of educated was 101,457, while in 2019, the number of educated prisoners rose to 107,071. Illiterates constitute 27.7 per cent of the total convicted prisoners in the country.
"Among the 4,78,600 prisoners as on 31st December 2019, the highest number of prisoners were having education below Class X (41.6%, 1,98,872) followed by prisoners with no education (27.7%, 1,32,729) and prisoners with education Class X and above but below graduation (21.5%, 1,03,036)," the latest NCRB report said.
As per the NCRB data, a total of 1,14,262 prisoners had been educated in the country during the year 2019.
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"Out of the total prisoners educated, 47,860 prisoners were provided elementary education, 44,438 prisoners were provided adult education, 11,917 prisoners were provided higher education and 10,047 prisoners were educated in the field of computers," said NCRB.
Among the states, Telangana was on the top in providing computers and elementary education to as many as 4,740 and 13,633 prisoners respectively.
Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand have reported that 9,654 and 2,993 prisoners were educated in the field of elementary education, the NCRB report said.