Shimla

Himachal Pradesh was on Tuesday felicitated with a national award on International Literacy Day in recognition of its achievement of 99.55 per cent literacy under the New India Literacy Programme (ULLAS).

Education Minister Rohit Thakur today received the honour on behalf of Himachal Pradesh in Delhi and thanked teachers, students, and government officials for the feat.

He said the state was only second to Goa, which has 99.7 per cent literacy.

Himachal Pradesh was declared fully literate on September 8, 2025, with a literacy rate of 99.3 per cent, according to a statement.

Thakur said that ULLAS, launched nationally in 2022-23 and implemented in Himachal Pradesh during 2023-24, has covered all 12 districts of the state.

A total of 94,930 learners have been identified and registered on the ULLAS portal, while 19,232 volunteer teachers have been registered and trained.

READ MORE:Mohsin is a volunteer at Ganeshotsav celebrations

He said the focus would now be on sustaining literacy and promoting lifelong learning, digital literacy and vocational skills under the initiative.

The state government has set a target of achieving 100 per cent literacy during 2026-27.