Himachal Pradesh wins literacy award with 99.55% rate
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Himachal Pradesh, a state in India, earned a national award on International Literacy Day for reaching a 99.55% literacy rate through the New India Literacy Programme (ULLAS).
Rohit Thakur, the state’s education minister, accepted the award in Delhi and thanked educators, students, and government workers for their contributions. The central government launched ULLAS in 2022 to offer foundational education and literacy skills to adults aged 15 and over who had not previously learned to read and write.
Himachal Pradesh implemented the program across all of its 12 districts during 2023-24. Officials registered nearly 95,000 learners and trained over 19,000 volunteer teachers for the program. Himachal Pradesh previously declared itself fully literate with a 99.3% literacy rate on September 8, 2025, and currently ranks second to Goa, which has a literacy rate of 99.7%. The state now intends to maintain these literacy levels and expand learning to include digital skills and vocational training.
The state government also plans to achieve 100% literacy by 2026-27.
