Sikkim has scripted a major educational milestone by becoming India’s fifth fully literate state under the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram. The Himalayan state achieved an impressive literacy rate of 99.82 per cent, comfortably surpassing the Ministry of Education’s benchmark of 95 per cent required for recognition as a fully literate state.
The historic declaration was made on May 27, 2026, by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang during the seventh convocation ceremony of Sikkim University held at Manan Kendra in Gangtok. President Droupadi Murmu and Governor Om Prakash Mathur were also present at the event.
The achievement comes under the ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme—India’s national adult education initiative aimed at promoting literacy, numeracy, and lifelong learning. The campaign was launched in Sikkim on November 14, 2022, and implemented extensively across the state’s six districts, 34 blocks, Gram Panchayat units, and urban wards.
Under the programme, authorities identified 15,361 non-literate adults through surveys. Of these, 14,447 learners were certified as literate after successfully clearing the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test, the official evaluation used under the ULLAS framework.
A remarkable aspect of the campaign was the role played by volunteers. More than 4,000 volunteer teachers, including school educators and college students, participated in the literacy drive without receiving any honorarium, reflecting strong community participation and public commitment toward education.
With this recognition, Sikkim joins Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh among the states and Union Territories acknowledged as fully literate under the ULLAS programme. The recognition is based on adult literacy levels, foundational numeracy skills, and assessment-based certification.
The milestone highlights India’s ongoing efforts to strengthen adult education and foundational learning. By achieving near-universal literacy, Sikkim has emerged as a model for educational inclusion and community-led learning, reinforcing the broader national vision of ensuring reading, writing, and numeracy skills for all citizens.