SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved a major milestone in education by joining the list of fully literate States and Union Territories under the Centre’s Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) scheme.
Announcing the achievement, Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha, said the Union Territory has successfully met the required literacy benchmark under the national programme.
The Lieutenant Governor said Jammu and Kashmir recorded a 99.09 percent success rate under ULLAS, becoming the largest population region in the country to be declared fully literate.
Official figures showed that 1,80,317 non-literates were identified across the UT. Out of them, 1,78,680 learners successfully passed, resulting in the overall success rate of 99.09 percent.
With this, Jammu and Kashmir has become the tenth State or Union Territory to attain full literacy status under the ULLAS initiative. The previous nine are Ladakh, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
ULLAS, also known as Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, is a centrally-sponsored programme aligned with the National Education Policy. It aims to provide literacy opportunities to people aged 15 years and above who could not complete formal schooling.
A state or Union Territory is considered fully literate after achieving a literacy rate of 95 per cent or more, as complete literacy is considered impractical because of factors such as advanced age and intellectual abilities.
Congratulating teachers, administrators, and all stakeholders, Sinha said education remains the strongest force of empowerment and called for continued efforts to strengthen the mission. The achievement is expected to give fresh momentum to adult education programmes across the Union Territory in the coming years.
Education on the rise
A state or UT is considered fully literate after achieving a literacy rate of 95% or more, as complete literacy is considered impractical due to factors like advanced age.