Adult Literacy; ULLAS Programme; Functional Numeracy; SDG 4
1) Why in the News
In September 2025, Himachal Pradesh announced that it is a “fully literate” state, reporting 99.3% literacy. This places Himachal alongside Tripura, Mizoram, and Goa; Ladakh achieved this as a Union Territory earlier.
- Marks a shift from schooling counts to adult functional literacy.
- Aligns with a national push to raise adult literacy and skills.
- Reflects steady gains from earlier decades of low literacy.
- Signals focus on hard-to-reach groups in hill and rural areas.
2) What “Fully Literate” Means (2025)
Under the national adult literacy programme ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society), a state is “fully literate” when 95% or more of adults (15+) are functionally literate; Himachal reports 99.3%.
- It does not mean 100%; a small share may still be non-literate.
- It covers reading, writing, and basic arithmetic needed for work and family life.
- Himachal joins Tripura, Mizoram, Goa; Ladakh is the first fully literate Union Territory (2024).
- India’s adult literacy is rising; states are expected to bridge the last mile.
Box — Related Policy
| ULLAS | Community-based adult learning, volunteer-driven, local-language materials. |
|---|---|
| Foundational Literacy & Numeracy | Prevents future adult non-literacy by strengthening early grades. |
| International Literacy Day (8 Sept) | Links efforts to the broader quality-education goals (SDG 4). |
3) How Himachal Reached the Milestone
The state built on strong school access and added door-to-door adult campaigns to reach older learners, women, and remote hamlets.
- Outreach model: Volunteers, women’s groups, teachers, and local bodies ran evening/near-home classes.
- Materials & testing: Simple primers, basic numeracy, short tests to confirm functional skills.
- Data clean-up: Household surveys to remove duplicates, track dropouts, and re-enrol adults.
- Supportive base: Good student–teacher ratios, steady schooling, and community buy-in.
Table — Threshold vs Outcome (2025)
| Indicator | Threshold for “Fully Literate” | Himachal (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult functional literacy (15+) | ≥ 95% | ~99.3% |
4) What Next — Opportunities and Cautions
The task now is to sustain and deepen literacy into everyday capability: digital, financial, and health tasks.
- Post-literacy ladders: Move learners to digital, financial, and health literacy; link with local jobs.
- Last-mile groups: Focus on migrant workers, tribal hamlets, elderly women, and seasonal workers.
- Quality checks: Periodic independent assessments to avoid overcounting or slippage.
- Replicable model: Toolkits (surveys, primers, volunteer training) can guide other states.
One-line Wrap: From counting readers to empowering citizens—Himachal’s task now is to keep skills alive and useful.
Prelims Practice
Q1. Under the current national approach, a state is called “fully literate” when:
(a) 100% of its population can read and write
(b) 95% or more of adults (15+) are functionally literate
(c) All schoolchildren pass Class 10
(d) Every village has a library
Q2. Which of the following are listed as “fully literate” by 2025?
- Tripura
- Mizoram
- Goa
- Himachal Pradesh
- Ladakh (Union Territory)
Select the correct answer:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 2, 3 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
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