Himachal Pradesh has quietly scripted a historic success story by emerging as a fully literate state (99.2%), a distinction earlier enjoyed only by smaller states like Kerala (95.3%), Goa (93.6%), Mizoram (98.2%), Lakshadweep (973%) and Tripura (95.6%). In a country where literacy has long been a stumbling block for social and economic progress, this achievement by a hill state with difficult terrain and scattered habitations deserves special attention. It is not just a triumph of numbers but a testament to political will, community participation, and a deep-rooted belief that education is the surest path to empowerment.

As per official data, Himachal’s literacy rate now stands at 99.2 per cent, comfortably above the central benchmark of 95 per cent required for a state to be declared fully literate which was the net result of efforts made by successive governments since independence. Teachers’ Day in Himachal Pradesh assumed a singular significance on Sept.5 this year, as the teaching fraternity, students, the state government, and every citizen rejoiced in the extraordinary feat of the state being declared fully literate — a milestone that ensures its well-deserved recognition on the national stage.”

On the occasion of International Literacy Day on September 8, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will have the privilege of officially announcing the landmark achievement of the hill state, accomplished despite its difficult terrain and extreme topographical challenges.

While India’s national literacy rate stood at 74% in the 2011 Census and has since climbed to around 79% in 2023 estimates, Himachal’s literacy has surged beyond 99 %. Recent assessments under the Union government’s ULLAS–Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram place Himachal in the rarefied club of states surpassing 95% functional literacy, thereby qualifying as fully literate. This is remarkable given that barely half a........

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