Himachal Pradesh has joined the list of India’s fully literate states, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu announced on Monday. With a literacy rate of 99.3 per cent, Himachal has crossed the national benchmark of 95 per cent, NDTV reported.

The declaration was made on September 8, International Literacy Day, under the ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme.

"At the time of Independence, the entire country was known as illiterate, and Himachal's literacy rate was just 7 per cent. After 78 years of Independence, Himachal has become a fully literate state," Mr. Sukhu said.

Mizoram 

Mizoram became the first fully literate state on May 20, 2025. Data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2023–24) put its literacy rate at 98.2 per cent. Back in the 2011 Census, Mizoram ranked third in the country with 91.33 per cent literacy.

Goa, Tripura, and Ladakh follow

Goa was next, becoming the second state to be officially declared fully literate under ULLAS. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state’s literacy rate improved from 94 per cent to a full 100 per cent after training programmes.

Tripura became the third state to reach the milestone with a literacy rate of 95.6 percent, a big leap from just 20.24 percent in 1961.

In addition to these states, Ladakh became the first Union Territory to achieve full literacy, with a 97 per cent rate, according to Lieutenant Governor BD Mishra.

National literacy rate rising

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared that India’s literacy rate has steadily increased, from 74 per cent in 2011 to 80.9 per cent in 2023–24.

"True progress will come only when literacy becomes a lived reality for every citizen," he said.