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Lakshadweep Achieves 100% Literacy Status Under ULLAS
What’s the News?
Lakshadweep has been declared a 100% literate Union Territory under ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram.
- Administrator Praful Patel announced the milestone at a function in Kavaratti.
- Special teaching and evaluation campaigns enabled all eligible learners identified for the programme to pass the literacy assessment.
- The achievement concerns adult literacy under ULLAS and should be understood in the context of its learner identification and assessment process.
How Was the Milestone Achieved?
- Survey: The Department of Education identified 1,113 adult non-literate persons across the islands.
- Teaching: Intensive learning drives developed basic reading, writing and numeracy skills.
- Accessible assessment:
- Volunteer teachers and supervisors conducted doorstep and home-based assessments for learners unable or hesitant to attend designated centres.
- Follow-up assessments and re-testing helped eligible learners complete the process.
- Outcome: All eligible learners cleared the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), enabling the declaration.
The approach combined identification, teaching and assessment rather than relying only on enrolment numbers. Home-based evaluation also helped reach learners who faced difficulties attending examination centres.
ULLAS Programme
ULLAS stands for Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society. It is also known as the New India Literacy Programme (NILP).
- Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
- Ministry: Ministry of Education, through the Department of School Education and Literacy.
- Period: FY 2022–23 to FY 2026–27.
- Target group: Adults aged 15 years and above who missed formal schooling.
- Policy basis: National Education Policy, 2020.
- Total outlay: ₹1,037.90 crore over five years.
- Central share: ₹700 crore.
- State share: ₹337.90 crore.
- Method: Community participation and volunteer teaching, supported by learning resources available through the ULLAS mobile app and DIKSHA.
Five Components
| Component | Focus |
|---|---|
| Foundational Literacy and Numeracy | Reading, writing and basic arithmetic |
| Critical Life Skills | Skills such as digital, financial, legal and health literacy |
| Basic Education | Opportunities to acquire education equivalent to formal schooling |
| Vocational Skills | Skills relevant to work and livelihoods |
| Continuing Education | Further learning beyond initial literacy acquisition |
The programme treats literacy as a foundation for everyday participation: understanding written information, carrying out calculations and using essential services. Its broader components support continued learning after the basic assessment.
What Does “Full Literacy” Mean?
- The Ministry of Education’s framework permits 95% literacy in a state or Union Territory to be treated as equivalent to full literacy.
- Its expanded conception includes reading, writing and computing with comprehension, alongside critical life skills.
- Lakshadweep’s announcement followed successful assessment of its identified eligible adult learners. It is not a new Census estimate covering every resident.
- The conventional Census literacy measure applies to people aged seven years and above who can read and write with understanding in any language. Its age group and measurement method differ from ULLAS assessments.
Ladakh was declared fully functionally literate under ULLAS in 2024 after crossing 97% literacy. Lakshadweep’s milestone should therefore not be described as the first-ever full-literacy declaration for a Union Territory under the programme.
Additional Info
- Kavaratti: Capital of Lakshadweep.
- Location: Arabian Sea.
- Geography: India’s smallest Union Territory by area, comprising 36 islands across approximately 32 sq km.
- Census 2011 literacy rate: 91.85%, a historical benchmark distinct from the latest programme-based declaration.