On Monday, Tripura was officially recognised as fully literate, making it the third state to achieve this milestone under the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) scheme.
Goa and Mizoram are the other two states that have attained full functional literacy. In addition to these states, Ladakh has also been declared a fully literate Union Territory.
The declaration ceremony witnessed the presence of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, senior officials from the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and the State Education Department, along with neo-literate learners and community stakeholders who were instrumental in this transformative journey.
In his address, Chief Minister Saha described the occasion as a historic milestone in Tripura鈥檚 path to complete literacy. 鈥淟iteracy in the country is very important for Prime Minister Narendra Modi鈥檚 vision of building a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The declaration of Tripura as the third fully literate state in the country is a historic moment. The Education Department must now focus on further increasing the literacy rate in Tripura,鈥 Saha said.
He revealed that the literacy rate in Tripura has risen to 95.6 per cent, a remarkable increase from a mere 20.24 per cent in 1961.
鈥淭his is a matter of great pride for us and will be remembered as a milestone. Earlier, Mizoram and Goa had achieved the status of fully literate states. I congratulate all those who have worked tirelessly to implement this campaign, including the Education Department. Prime Minister Narendra Modi always speaks about Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas. Today, we have witnessed that spirit in action. Our goal is to ensure that the benefits of public welfare schemes reach the last person in society,鈥 he added.
A state is classified as fully literate when its literacy rate surpasses 95 per cent, according to the benchmark set by the ULLAS scheme.
鈥淭he Nav Bharat Literacy Programme is progressing through the ULLAS initiative. In the 2023-24 financial year, the literacy rate reached 93.7 per cent, and in 2024-25, it rose to 95.6 per cent. However, this rate may increase further with a more comprehensive survey. Therefore, the Education Department must play an even more effective role in advancing this campaign,鈥 he said.
Saha attributed this success to the effective implementation of the ULLAS programme, which aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, as stated by the Ministry of Education.
The ULLAS scheme, in line with NEP 2020, focuses on adults aged 15 and above who have missed the opportunity for formal schooling.
Since its initiation in 2022, ULLAS has been executed on a mission mode nationwide, aiming to provide foundational literacy, numeracy, and essential life skills to non-literate youth and adults (15+ years).
In Tripura, the scheme was extensively implemented across all districts, backed by strong community mobilisation, door-to-door surveys, and extensive use of the ULLAS mobile app for digital learning and certification, according to the education ministry.