Recently, Mizoram, one of the northeastern states, has been declared India’s first fully literate state.
It achieved “full literacy” status by reaching a literacy rate of 98.2%, surpassing the 95% threshold set by the Ministry of Education, according to the 2023–24 Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
Before this, Ladakh became the first administrative unit to declare full functional literacy under the ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) initiative.
Following Mizoram, the next ten most literate states and union territories are Lakshadweep, Nagaland, Kerala, Meghalaya, Tripura, Chandigarh, Goa, Puducherry, and Manipur.
At the other end of the spectrum, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar recorded the lowest literacy rates, as per the same PLFS 2023–24 survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Despite Mizoram’s impressive literacy achievement, the state continues to face several educational challenges.
These include inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of qualified teachers, and limited access to education in remote and hilly areas.
There is also a pressing need to expand vocational training, improve technical education, and enhance digital access to ensure inclusive and sustained educational progress across the state.
