Uttarakhand becomes sixth fully literate state in India

Dehradun: Uttarakhand has been declared the country's sixth fully literate state after meeting the adult literacy benchmarks prescribed under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Centre's ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) - New India Literacy Programme. The declaration was approved by Governor Gurmit Singh on July 8 after the state fulfilled the literacy standards set by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education. With the recognition, Uttarakhand joins Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the list of fully literate states, marking a major milestone in its education sector. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami termed the achievement a historic moment for the state and credited it to the collective efforts of the government and the active participation of citizens. He said the milestone reflects Uttarakhand's commitment to expanding educational opportunities and strengthening literacy across all sections of society. The chief minister also reiterated the government's focus on promoting digital literacy, financial literacy, lifelong learning and essential life skills, in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020. Congratulating the people of the state, Dhami said the government would continue working to ensure that education and learning opportunities remain accessible to every citizen. The ULLAS programme, launched under NEP 2020, aims to provide adult education through foundational literacy and numeracy, along with critical life skills, vocational training, basic education and continuing education for learners across the country.