Himachal Pradesh was on Monday declared a “fully literate state,” joining an elite club that only had three other states — Tripura, Mizoram, and Goa — and an Union Territory — Ladakh — as its members.
Announcing the achievement, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state has reached a 99.3 per cent literacy rate, way higher than the national benchmark of 95 per cent.
“The journey from a minimal literacy rate of around seven per cent to a fully literate state had been full of challenges, yet the state had consistently moved forward with the aim of providing quality education,” Sukhu said, adding Himachal also ranks first in the country in student-teacher ratio.
Sukhu’s announcement came soon after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that India’s literacy rate has risen from 74 per cent in 2011 to 80.9 per cent in 2023-24. Pradhan, virtually addressing an event in Delhi to mark the International Literacy Day 2025, congratulated Ladakh, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh for achieving full literacy, calling it a reaffirmation of the power of collective effort by government, society and volunteers.
Pradhan highlighted the role of the ULLAS–Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, under which more than 3 crore learners and 42 lakh volunteers have enrolled. “Nearly 1.83 crore learners have already taken foundational literacy and numeracy assessments, with 90 per cent success. The programme now offers learning material in 26 Indian languages, making literacy truly inclusive,” he said.
The theme for this year’s celebration was “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era”, highlighting the pivotal role of digital technology in enabling reading, writing, numeracy, and lifelong learning skills across the country.
Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary observed that the concept of literacy in India has expanded to include digital literacy. “India has set an example for the world, particularly the Global South, by creating robust digital public infrastructure that has accelerated education and inclusion. Achievements that might have taken 50 years have been realised in just a decade through India’s digital innovations,” he added.
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Meanwhile, emphasising continuous reforms in line with modern requirements, Sukhu said further positive changes will be introduced in the education sector in the coming years, and the government institutions would be transformed into centres of excellence.
State Education Minister Rohit Thakur recalled that after Independence, Himachal was among the states with lowest literacy. He credited successive governments their work in the field to help hill state reached the top position in India. “The dropout rate has reduced to nearly zero,” Thakur said.
Union Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, in a video message, congratulated the state and stressed the importance of skill-based learning for newly literate citizens.
State Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar said that Himachal had fulfilled the various criteria required for being declared a fully literate state. He said that capacities in the education sector would continue to be enhanced to meet future challenges effectively.
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Voluntary teachers and newly literate individuals also shared their experiences during the programme. Over the past three decades, women’s groups, youth clubs, voluntary organisations and NGOs played a significant role towards reaching this literacy rate, Kanwar said.
-with PTI
