In an age of widening social inequities, a quiet revolution has unfolded in the country’s Northeast. Mizoram has become India’s first fully literate state under the Centre’s ULLAS — New India Literacy Programme. According to the latest data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey, 98.2 per cent of Mizo citizens aged seven and above are now literate — well above the national average of 80.9 per cent, and ahead even of Kerala, long celebrated for its human development achievements.
The story behind Mizoram’s achievement is not one of top-down technocracy alone. It speaks of a broader, more holistic model of inclusive development that involves patient, community-led work or what Mizos recognise as tlawmngaihna. It is a story of volunteers who braved remote locations and poor connectivity to bring literacy to the last mile, and of individuals who aspired to be more. The result is success in an area where India has long struggled: Adult and functional literacy. Rural literacy in Mizoram stands at 98.1 per cent, while urban areas reach 98.3 per cent, indicating almost no urban-rural divide, an anomaly in a country where the gap often exceeds 15 percentage points. Mizoram ranks high on other important indicators as well. It boasts the third-highest female workforce participation rate in the country. Its sex ratio at birth (975 females per 1,000 males) surpasses the national average (929). It has the lowest infant mortality rate in the Northeast, and one of India’s highest school attendance rates at both primary and secondary levels.
While size is a defining factor, in India, where development is often equated with urban growth, there is a lesson here for larger and more resource-rich states. Mizoram shows that policy nimbleness is often a function of intent and accountability, that investing in people, trusting local institutions, and building with community at the centre can move mountains. As India looks to a digital, green and global future, the path ahead must concern itself with the dignity and agency of all, including and especially those on the margins.
