which were rural. There were 169,422 (51%) males and 162,401 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 42,021. Scheduled Castes numbered 76,163 (22.95%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 2,640 (0.80%). As per the 2001 Census of India, Patharpratima CD block had a total population of 288,259, out of which 147,518 were males and 140,741 were females. Patharprtima CD block registered a population growth of 17.37 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for South 24 Parganas district was 20.89 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent. Scheduled Castes at 72,402 formed around one-fourth the population. Scheduled Tribes numbered 3,670. Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Patharpratima CD block (2011 census figures in brackets): Dakshin Gangadharpur (13,738), Bhajna (5,307), Srinarayanpur (5,098), Taranagar (4,425), Purna Chandrapur (4,099), Dakshin Durgapur (5,722), Dakshin Raypur (9,858), Indra Narayanpur (4,120), Digambarpur (6,577), Ramganga (4,118), Paschim Surendra Nagar (6,378), Gopalnagar Dakshin (5,059), Gopalnagar Uttar (4,492), Durgagobindopur (4,326), Madhab Nagar (5,615), Paschim Dwarkapur (4,097), Baradapur (4,356), Kishorinagar (4,177), Dakshin Lakshminarayanpur (4,379), Dakshin Shibganj (5,828), Chhoto Banashyam Nagar (5,124), Sibnagar (5,666), Banashyam Nagar (5,347), Achintya Nagar (6,181), Lakshmi Janardanpur (4,567), Kuemuri (5,096), Purba Surendranagar (5,130), Heramba Gopalpur (6,672), Dakshin Kashinagar (5,454), Purba Sripatinagar (4,077), Paschim Sripatinagar (6,342), Upendra Nagar (4,915), Rakhalpur (6,076), Sridhar Nagar (7,625), Rakshaskhali (4,729), Kshetra Mohanpur (5,589), Brojoballabpur (6,671), Gobindapur Abad (6,226), Dakshin Surendraganj (4,350), Indrapur (5,335) and Sitarampur (4,388). Other villages in Patharpratima CD block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Durbachati (3,830). Literacy As per the 2011 census, the total number of literates in Patharpratima CD block was 237,955 (82.11% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 131,063 (88.54% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 106,892 (75.40% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 13.14%. As per the 2011 Census of India, literacy in South 24 Parganas district was 77.51 Literacy in West Bengal was 77.08% in 2011. Literacy in India in 2011 was 74.04%. As per the 2001 Census of India, Patharpratima CD block had a total literacy of 72.77 per cent for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 84.30 per cent female literacy was 60.64 per cent. South 24 Parganas district had a total literacy of 69.45 per cent, male literacy being 79.19 per cent and female literacy being 59.01 per cent. See also – List