India’s Literacy Rate Rises to 80.9% in 2023–24: Pradhan

India’s literacy rate has increased from 74% in 2011 to 80.9% in 2023–24, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday during a virtual address on International Literacy Day 2025.

Pradhan stressed that literacy is more than reading and writing, describing it as a path to dignity, empowerment, and self-reliance. He underlined that true progress would be achieved only when literacy becomes a lived reality for every citizen.

Highlighting the government’s ULLAS–Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, the minister said over 3 crore learners and 42 lakh volunteers have joined the initiative. Around 1.83 crore learners have already taken foundational literacy and numeracy assessments, with a 90% success rate. The programme now offers study material in 26 Indian languages.

Pradhan congratulated Ladakh, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh for achieving full literacy, terming it a collective success of governments, society, and volunteers. Ladakh became the first Union Territory to be declared fully literate in June 2024, while Himachal Pradesh recently joined the list of fully literate states.

The theme for this year’s International Literacy Day was “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era.” Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary noted that literacy in India has expanded to include digital literacy, crediting India’s digital public infrastructure for accelerating educational inclusion.

“India has accomplished in a decade what could have taken fifty years, setting an example for the Global South,” Chaudhary said.

Source: PTI