There has been a spectacular progress in the field of education, after Lakshadweep became a Union Territory in the year 1956. In 1951, only about 335 students went to schools in all the islands; by 2003, the number of students going to the various educational institutions in the islands has crossed seventheen thousand. In 1951, the literacy rate of Lakshadweep was only 15.23 % and in 2001, the literacy rate has gone upto 87.52 %.