Sikkim declared fully literate under ULLAS programme

State achieves 99.82 % literacy rate, surpasses Centre’s 95 % benchmark

GANGTOK, : Sikkim was on Wednesday declared a fully literate State under the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, with an official literacy rate of 99.82 per cent, surpassing the Centre’s prescribed benchmark of 95 per cent.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister P.S. Golay during the convocation ceremony of Sikkim University held at Manan Kendra here in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Governor Om Prakash Mathur, Education minister Raju Basnet and Sikkim University Vice Chancellor Prof. Santanu Kumar Swain.

With this achievement, Sikkim has become the sixth State or Union Territory to attain full literacy status after Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, the state Education department said.

President Murmu congratulated the people and government of Sikkim for achieving full literacy status ahead of the national target set for 2027 under the ULLAS programme.

She said the achievement reflected the collective efforts of the government and the people of the State and described literacy as a key instrument of empowerment and social progress.

Chief Minister Golay said the achievement marks a “defining milestone” in the educational and social progress of the State. “It reflects our commitment to ensure no adult citizen is left behind in the journey toward knowledge, dignity, empowerment, and inclusive development. From the remotest villages to every block and Gram Panchayat, this mission has reached every nook and corner of Sikkim with dedication and determination,” the Chief Minister wrote on Facebook.

“What makes this accomplishment truly inspiring is the courage, perseverance, and enthusiasm of the learners themselves, men and women, young and old, many of whom learned to read and write for the very first time in their lives. Their determination embodies the true spirit of ‘Saakshar Sikkim’ and serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations,” Golay added.

According to the Ministry of Education guidelines, a State is considered fully literate under the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram when the literacy rate among persons aged 15 years and above reaches 95 per cent or higher.

The Education department, in a press release, said the Unnayan Survekshan 2022 conducted by the Directorate of Economics, Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation estimated the population of Sikkim aged 15 years and above at 5,30,046.

During the implementation of the programme, 15,361 non-literate adults were identified through surveys conducted across the State. Of them, 14,447 adults were certified as literate after Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling.

With only 914 identified persons remaining uncertified, the total literate population under the ULLAS framework stands at 5,29,132, taking the literacy rate to 99.82 per cent, officials said.

The ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram was launched in Sikkim on November 14, 2022 and has since been implemented across all six districts, 34 blocks and urban local bodies of the State.

Five rounds of FLNAT examinations were conducted between March 2024 and February 2026, in which all 15,361 adult learners appeared, officials said.

The department said more than 4,000 volunteer teachers including school teachers, college students, non-teaching staff and community members participated in the literacy movement without honorarium.

The State Centre for Literacy under SCERT, Gangtok prepared teaching-learning materials and training modules, while the Cell for National Centre for Literacy, New Delhi provided academic and technical support for the programme.

Following the declaration, the State will now move towards the next phase of adult education under the ULLAS framework, focusing on digital literacy, vocational education, life skills and lifelong learning opportunities, the department added.