The state of Uttarakhand has officially been declared a “Fully Literate State” after surpassing the 95% literacy benchmark prescribed under the Union Government’s ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme. The decision was approved during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Hon’ble Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
According to state government data, Uttarakhand’s literacy rate has witnessed a remarkable rise from 83.8% in 2023-24 to 98.7% in 2025, reflecting one of the fastest literacy improvements recorded by any Indian state in recent years.
Speaking on the achievement, Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat credited the success to the coordinated efforts of the education department, local bodies, voluntary organisations, educators, and citizens across the state. He noted that the rapid progress demonstrates the impact of sustained community participation and targeted literacy initiatives.
Under the ULLAS framework, states and Union Territories achieving a literacy rate of 95% or above are considered fully literate. Uttarakhand’s literacy rate of 98.7% comfortably exceeds this benchmark, placing the Himalayan state among a select group of regions that have reached the milestone.
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The proposal for the declaration was formally submitted by the Directorate of Secondary Education following an assessment aligned with the revised literacy norms of the Union Ministry of Education. Officials highlighted that literacy assessments account for practical realities such as advanced age, severe health conditions, and intellectual disabilities, which make a 100% literacy target difficult to achieve in any society.
As per the latest ULLAS assessment, Uttarakhand’s eligible population, excluding children below seven years of age is estimated at approximately 1.23 crore. Of this, only around 1.31 lakh individuals remain in the non-literate category, resulting in an effective literacy rate of 98.7%.
Officials have attributed the achievement to sustained adult education campaigns, literacy centres, grassroots mobilisation, and extensive community outreach programmes conducted across the state’s geographically challenging terrain.
The state’s focus will now shift from literacy attainment to literacy sustainability, with greater emphasis on lifelong learning, digital literacy, and skill development initiatives aimed at enhancing employability and social empowerment.
Notably, Uttarakhand has also been actively engaging in educational reforms and policy dialogue through initiatives such as the Shiksha Samvad Chintan Shivir, organised in collaboration with Elets Technomedia. Such platforms have played an important role in fostering discussions around quality education, innovation, foundational learning, and inclusive educational development, complementing the state’s broader vision for educational transformation.
For Uttarakhand, this achievement marks more than a statistical milestone, it represents a significant step toward building an informed, empowered, and future-ready society.
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