This paper presents a sociogeographic analysis of female literacy in India and compares literacy rates of females and males in scheduled (reported separately on the census) and nonscheduled (reported as one group on the census) castes. In Indian cities, male literacy is higher than female literacy, and literacy rates are higher for nonscheduled caste females than scheduled caste females. In most cities, the disparity between gender literacy rates is lower, and this is also true within the castes. Social movements in India are examined to offer explanations for the literacy patterns within regions. Community populations containing either Moslems who generally lower or Christians who generally raise literacy rates can also be responsible for the disparity. The analysis concludes that female literacy is part of a larger societal context. Maps and graphs are included, as well as a list of the 128 cities analyzed in this study. (DJC)