Himachal Pradesh has achieved a landmark milestone by being officially declared a ‘Fully Literate State’, with a literacy rate of 99.30 percent. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the ‘Puran Sakshar Himachal Samaroh and Ullaas Mela-2025’ held in Shimla on the occasion of International Literacy Day. The event was organised by the Directorate of School Education.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister extended his heartfelt congratulations to the people of the state for reaching this significant goal well ahead of schedule. Reflecting on Himachal’s educational journey from a modest literacy rate of around seven percent post-independence to its current status, he acknowledged the challenges faced over the decades and praised the consistent efforts made to ensure quality education for all. He emphasized the importance of continuous reforms to align the education system with modern-day requirements.
The Chief Minister noted that Himachal Pradesh not only surpassed the national literacy benchmark of 95 percent but also ranked first in the country in terms of student-teacher ratio. He reiterated the state government’s commitment to transforming government educational institutions into centres of excellence and working toward establishing world-class educational infrastructure.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister honoured officials, volunteers, and other contributors associated with the New India Literacy Programme ‘ULLAS’, acknowledging their crucial role in achieving the literacy milestone. He also visited the exhibition held as part of the Ullaas Mela, which showcased various initiatives and success stories from the campaign.
Education Minister Rohit Thakur described the day as a golden chapter in Himachal Pradesh’s history, recalling that the state once ranked among the lowest in literacy rates after independence. He credited the focused efforts of successive governments in improving the quality of education and bringing down the dropout rate to nearly zero. He also highlighted several new initiatives introduced by the current government to strengthen the education sector and thanked all stakeholders for their contributions.
In a video message, Union Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar congratulated Himachal Pradesh on its achievement and stressed the importance of providing skill-based education to the newly literate population.
Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, while welcoming the Chief Minister and other dignitaries, confirmed that Himachal Pradesh had successfully fulfilled all criteria required to be declared fully literate. He assured that the state will continue to build capacities in the education sector to meet future challenges effectively.
Director of School Education Ashish Kohli provided details about the Ullaas Mela and noted that numerous ambitious programmes under the “Jan-Jan Sakshar” initiative had been successfully implemented across the state.
Voluntary teachers and newly literate individuals also shared their personal stories and experiences, adding a human touch to the celebration. Over the past three decades, women’s self-help groups, youth clubs, NGOs, and voluntary organizations have played an instrumental role in achieving the state’s remarkable 99.30 percent literacy rate.
