New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Friday said illiteracy is the biggest hurdle for empowering the poor.

"Literacy helps in the economic, social and cultural empowerment of people, especially women," said Shekhawat, who was speaking on 'Literacy Sustains Development' at a function organised at Vigyan Bhawan here on the occasion of International Literacy Day.

Hailing the role of the National Literacy Mission (NLM), he said: "Value-based education should made an integral part of our literacy campaigns. This will help children and youth to grow as responsible citizens."

According to the 2001 census, the literacy rate in India is 65.38 percent. The male-female break up stands at 75.96 percent and 54.28 percent respectively.

Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, who also spoke at the function, expressed concern at the literacy rate among minorities, especially Muslims.

Singh said one third of the world's illiterates reside in our country. "Even though the growth of literacy among women in the last decade was more than men, the gender differentials are as high as 30 percent in some states."

He said only 71 percent were literate in the 15-35 age group.

On literacy rate among scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, the minister said that it has risen dramatically, but literacy among women is still as low as 34.8 percent.

Champak Chatterjee, secretary, school education and literacy, said plans are afoot to impart primary education to unskilled labour employed under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

The project will be carried out in collaboration with the department of rural development.

Shekhawat gave away the NLM-UNESCO award to organisations working in this area. The Satyen Maitra Memorial Literacy award given to districts that have done a commendable job to promote literacy.