CM hails HP's achievement: Himachal declared fully literate, achieves 99.02% literacy rate

Shimla (The Uttam Hindu): Himachal Pradesh has created history by becoming the fourth fully literate state of the country under the ULAS (New India Literacy Program). CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu made this announcement at a special program organized at Peterhof, Shimla on International Literacy Day. With a literacy rate of 99.02%, Himachal has surpassed Tripura, Mizoram and Lakshadweep to secure the top position in the country.

According to the standards of the Central Government, any state with more than 95% literate population is declared fully literate. Himachal has achieved this milestone by reducing the number of illiterate persons to just 56,960 out of an estimated population of 75.5 lakh. Between 2023 and 2025, more than 43,000 people were made literate under the ongoing campaign of the Ullas program. At the national level, the literacy rate currently stands at 80.9%.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur described this as a historic day for Himachal saying that it is a matter of pride for the entire state. Officials explained that literacy is determined by the ability to read and write simple words and perform basic mathematical calculations. While Kerala continues to be known as the first literate state with 95.3% literacy under the Central Government’s Ullas program Himachal, Tripura, Mizoram and Lakshadweep are recognized as fully literate states.