Himachal declared ‘fully literate state’, achieves 99.30% literacy: CM Sukhvinder Sukhu

Greeting the people of the state, the chief minister said the State had achieved the target well ahead of time. “From a literacy rate of around 7 per cent after Independence, Himachal steadily progressed to 99.30 per cent, surpassing the national benchmark of 95 per cent,” the CM said, highlighting challenges faced and the government’s continuous reforms aimed at providing quality education aligned with modern needs.

Sukhu said Himachal ranks first in the country for student-teacher ratio and emphasised that further improvements will be made. “Government institutions will be transformed into centres of excellence, and world-class educational infrastructure will be developed.”

During the event, the chief minister honoured officials, volunteers and contributors of the New India Literacy Programme ‘ULLAS’.

He also visited the exhibition organised as part of the celebrations.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur called this achievement a golden chapter in the state’s history and recalled how Himachal once ranked among the lowest in literacy, but with continuous efforts, it emerged as a leader.

The minister said the dropout rate had reduced to nearly zero and announced several new initiatives to enhance education.

Union Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, in a video message, congratulated the state and stressed the importance of skill-based learning for newly literate citizens.

Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar said the state met all criteria for full literacy and pledged to strengthen education capacities further.

Director of School Education Ashish Kohli divulged details about Ullaas Mela’s programmes and achievements.

Voluntary teachers, newly literate citizens and women’s groups were also honoured for their contributions over the past three decades.

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