Himachal Pradesh has achieved a historic milestone in the field of education by getting declared a 'Fully Literate State'. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made this announcement on Monday on the occasion of International Literacy Day during the 'Puran Sakshar Himachal Samaroh and Ullaas Mela-2025' held in Shimla. The event was organised by the Directorate of School Education.
Extending his greetings to the people of the state, the Chief Minister said that Himachal had reached this goal well before the scheduled timeframe. He said that the journey from a minimal literacy rate of around 7 pc to a fully literate state had been full of challenges, yet the state had consistently moved forward with the aim of providing quality education. He emphasised continuous reforms in line with modern requirements.
He said that as a result of reforms introduced by the present government, the literacy rate in Himachal Pradesh had reached 99.30 per pc higher than the national benchmark of 95 pc and it has ranked first in the country in terms of student-teacher ratio. Many positive changes will be introduced in the education sector in the coming years, and the government institutions will be transformed into centres of excellence. He said the government was committed to providing quality education and working towards establishing world-class institutions in the state.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister honoured the officials, volunteers and others under New India Literacy Programme 'ULLAS' who had contributed to the achievement of making Himachal a fully literate state. He also visited the exhibition organised as part of the Ullaas Mela.
Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that the day would be remembered as a golden chapter in the history of Himachal Pradesh. He recalled that after independence, the state was among the lowest in the country in terms of literacy. With a thrust on improving the quality of education, the successive governments worked hard, and today Himachal has reached the top position in India.
He said that the dropout rate in the state had now come down to almost zero. He detailed the new initiatives taken by the present government in the field of education. He expressed gratitude to all those who contributed towards making Himachal a fully literate state.
Union Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, in his video message, congratulated Himachal on this achievement and emphasised the importance of providing skill-based education to the newly literate.
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Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar said that Himachal had fulfilled the various criteria required for being declared a fully literate state. He said that capacities in the education sector would continue to be enhanced to meet future challenges effectively.
Director of School Education Ashish Kohli gave details of the Ullaas Mela and said that many ambitious programmes had been successfully implemented under the motto of “Jan-Jan Sakshar”.
Voluntary teachers and newly literate individuals also shared their experiences. Over the past three decades, women’s groups, youth clubs, voluntary organisations and NGO's played a significant role in this journey towards achieving a 99.30 pc literacy rate. Mayor Surinder Chauhan and senior officers, educationists and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
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