From 7% in 1947 to 99% in 2025: Himachal Pradesh declared fully literate state

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday declared Himachal Pradesh a fully literate state under the centrally sponsored literacy programme ULLAS.

Under this programme, any state achieving over 95 per cent literacy rate is considered a fully literate state.

Under this programme, a learner has to acquire financial and digital literacy along with reading and writing ability.

"We have become a fully literate state. It is a matter of great pride for us," said the CM while speaking at the International Literacy Day function in Shimla.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that Himachal has achieved a literacy rate of over 99 per cent, the highest in the country. He said it had been a long journey for the state since 1947, when the literacy rate was just 7 per cent.