Uttarakhand Chief Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in an event organized at Mukhy Sevak Sadan in the Chief Minister's Office to mark Uttarakhand's achievement of fully literate state status.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister awarded illiterate citizens who successfully passed an examination conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). He congratulated the residents of Uttarakhand on the state becoming the sixth fully literate in the country.
Dhami noted that achieving full literacy in Uttarakhand, despite the challenging geographical landscape and remote areas, demonstrates the strong determination and collective strength of the state's population.
He emphasized that Uttarakhand achieved this status under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saksharta Program. The Chief Minister stated that after Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim, Uttarakhand secured the sixth position among fully literate states.
Congratulating the illiterates, Dhami stated that they demonstrated that learning has no age limit and it is never too late to move forward. He added that education not only strengthens people's confidence but also opens up new opportunities for them.
The Chief Minister clarified that the concept of literacy today goes beyond simple reading, writing, or signing. He stated that in a changing world, important components of literacy include awareness of rights and duties, as well as digital, financial literacy, and life skills.
Dhami mentioned that constant efforts are being made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure more inclusive and modern education across the country. He noted that the Prime Minister's vision is that no one should be left without education, and an educated person contributes to the development of their family, society, and nation.
The state government is focused on improving the quality of education and overall student development. The Chief Minister detailed support measures: financial aid is provided to eligible girl students under the Nanda Gauraj Yojana program; virtual classrooms and a central studio are being established in 500 schools across the state for access to quality education in remote areas; 189 Atal Utkrisht schools are functioning in the state; free education for orphans is ensured under the Mukhyamantri Balashray Yojana program; and work is underway to create modern laboratories in 100 schools at each level—secondary and higher secondary.
Dhami warned that achieving full literacy should not be seen as an end goal, but as a new beginning. He stated: 'Now the focus must be on spreading digital literacy, financial literacy, health awareness, and life skills among every citizen. Constant efforts will be made to ensure that every citizen of the state keeps pace with developing technologies and can use them to improve the quality of their life.'
Education Minister Dan Singh Rawat acknowledged the significant milestone achieved by Uttarakhand under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. He also reported that about 25,000 volunteers contributed significantly to the success of the campaign.
Furthermore, it was announced that the state has set a target to achieve 100 percent literacy within the next six months. The Education Minister added that the National Education Policy 2020 set a national goal of increasing the gross enrollment ratio in higher education to 50 percent by 2035, and Uttarakhand aims to achieve this goal this current year.