Sunil Chadha
SHIMLA: On the occasion of International Literacy Day, Himachal Pradesh is poised to create history by becoming the most literate state in India.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made the official announcement on Monday (September 8, 2025) morning at 10 am during a formal event organised at Hotel Peterhoff in Shimla. The ceremony will witness the presence of Education Minister Rohit Thakur, along with senior officials from the state’s education department, including the secretary, director and various other dignitaries.
National literacy average stands at 80.9%
With this declaration, Himachal Pradesh will surpass states and union territories like Mizoram, Tripura and Lakshadweep, establishing itself as the state with the highest literacy rate in the country.
While the national literacy average currently stands at 80.9%, Himachal has managed to achieve a remarkable milestone by crossing the 99% mark. This achievement puts the state ahead of traditionally high-performing regions and reaffirms its commitment to inclusive and widespread education.
As part of the announcement, Chief Minister Sukhu is also likely to unveil a new educational plan aimed at addressing the remaining literacy gap in the state. According to recent estimates, only 56,960 individuals in the entire state remain non-literate.
The new initiative is expected to focus on reaching out to these individuals and integrating them into the mainstream education framework. A special recorded message from Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, will also be shared at the event, reflecting the significance of this achievement at the national level.
Criteria for declaring a state fully literate
The criteria for declaring a state fully literate include a minimum literacy rate of 95% and verified access to education across all social, economic, and geographic groups. Himachal Pradesh, with a current literacy rate of 99.02%, has far exceeded this benchmark.
This is a significant improvement from the 2011 Census, when the literacy rate in the state stood at 82.8%. The progress has been driven by consistent and well-implemented literacy campaigns carried out by the education department over the years.
Among these efforts, the Ullas Yojana, which ran from 2023 to 2025, helped 43,885 individuals become literate. Prior to that, the Padna Likhna Abhiyan in 2022 brought literacy to one lakh people. Similarly, under the Saakshar Bharat Mission in 2017, 67,500 individuals were educated. These sustained and targeted efforts have collectively contributed to the extraordinary literacy progress seen in the state today.
Himachal beats Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Tripura in literacy
Himachal Pradesh’s rise in literacy becomes even more significant when compared to other high-performing states and union territories. Mizoram, with a literacy rate of 98.2%, was previously declared fully literate. Lakshadweep has reached 97.3%, making it the top union territory in terms of literacy.
Tripura recently crossed the 95.6% threshold, while Kerala, long considered the literacy leader, stands at 95.3%. Goa, with its strong urban education infrastructure, maintains a literacy rate of 93.6%. However, Himachal has now taken a definitive lead, setting a new benchmark for the rest of the country.
According to Education Minister Rohit Thakur, September 8 will be remembered as a historic day for the state and a proud moment for the entire nation. He emphasised that this achievement not only highlights the commitment of the people and government of Himachal Pradesh but also aligns with the broader national goal of achieving complete literacy by the year 2030. Himachal’s accomplishment will serve as an inspiration for other states to intensify their efforts and move closer to the vision of a fully literate India.
