Literacy for All: Strengthening India’s Journey Towards Viksit Bharat

Why in News?

• India’s overall literacy rate reached 81.1%, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025.Ten States and Union Territories declared themselves fully literate between 2024 and 2026.Programmes such as ULLAS, NIPUN Bharat and Samagra Shiksha are expanding literacy beyond reading and writing to include numeracy, digital literacy, financial awareness and lifelong learning.

What is Literacy?

Government Definition

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, defines literacy as the ability to:

• read, write and compute with comprehension;
• identify, understand, interpret and create information;
• and apply critical life skills such as digital and financial literacy.

A State or Union Territory achieving a literacy rate of 95% is considered fully literate.

UNESCO Definition

UNESCO defines literacy as the ability to read, write and use numbers, along with the ability to use digital material to solve problems in an information- and technology-rich environment.

Literacy is:

• a fundamental human right;
• an essential component of the right to education;
• a foundation for equality, justice and inclusion;
• and a prerequisite for exercising other human rights.

Changing Meaning of Literacy

Modern literacy includes:

Reading with comprehension | Numeracy | Digital literacy | Financial literacy | Critical thinking | Problem-solving | Lifelong learning

Literacy must enable individuals to understand information and apply it in daily life rather than merely read simple words or sign their names.

How has India Progressed in Literacy?

Progress Since Independence

• 1947: Overall literacy was approximately 14%, while female literacy was about 8%.
• 1951–2011: Overall literacy increased from 18.32% to 74.04%.
• Male Literacy: Increased from 27.15% to 82.14%.
• Female Literacy: Increased from 8.86% to 65.46%.

Rural–Urban Progress

• Urban Literacy: Increased from 34.59% in 1951 to 84.1% in 2011.
• Rural Literacy: Increased from 12.10% to 67.8%.
• Rural Female Literacy: Between 2001 and 2011, it grew by 26%, compared with 10% for rural males.

These improvements reflect greater school access and social awareness, though geographical and gender inequalities persist.

What Does PLFS 2025 Reveal?

According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025:

• Overall Literacy Rate: 81.1%.
• Urban Literacy—Seven Years and Above: 89%.
• Urban Literacy—Five Years and Above: 88%.
• Rural Literacy—Seven Years and Above: 77.4%.
• Rural Literacy—Five Years and Above: 76.4%.

Gender-wise Literacy Among Persons Aged Seven Years and Above

• Urban Males: 93.1%
• Urban Females: 84.8%
• Rural Males: 84.8%
• Rural Females: 70.3%

Major Findings

• Rural–Urban Divide: Rural literacy remains considerably lower than urban literacy.
• Gender Gap: Female literacy, particularly in rural areas, remains below male literacy.
• Need for Targeting: National averages must be supported by interventions for rural women and disadvantaged communities.

What is the Status of School Education?

According to the UDISE+ Report 2025-26, more than 24.72 crore students were enrolled in Indian schools.

Gross Enrolment Ratio

Gross Enrolment Ratio is total enrolment at an educational stage expressed as a percentage of the population in the corresponding official age group.

• Foundational Stage: 42.8%
• Preparatory Stage: 91.7%
• Middle Stage: 89.6%
• Secondary Stage: 71.7%

The fall at the secondary stage indicates that many students do not continue education beyond the middle level.

Dropout Rates

• Preparatory Stage: 1.8%
• Middle Stage: 3.6%
• Secondary Stage: 7%

Poverty, child labour, early marriage, distance from schools and inadequate infrastructure can contribute to dropout.

Retention Rates

• Foundational Stage: 98.5%
• Preparatory Stage: 91.1%
• Middle Stage: 83.7%
• Secondary Stage: 51.9%

The sharp decline at the secondary level shows that initial enrolment does not necessarily lead to school completion.

Transition Rates

Transition rate is the percentage of students successfully moving from one stage to the next.

• Foundational to Preparatory: 99.2%
• Preparatory to Middle: 93.8%
• Middle to Secondary: 88.3%

What Does ASER Reveal About Learning Outcomes?

The Annual Status of Education Report–Rural is a nationwide rural household survey conducted by the NGO Pratham.

Coverage

The survey examines:

• pre-primary children aged three to five years;
• elementary-level children aged six to 14 years;
• and older children aged 15 to 16 years.

It assesses:

• school enrolment;
• attendance;
• basic reading;
• arithmetic ability;
• and early-childhood education.

ASER 2024 Findings

• Government-School Reading Levels: The reading performance of Class III children was the highest since the survey began 20 years ago.
• Class III Reading Ability: The share of Class III government-school students able to read a Class II text increased from 16.3% in 2022 to 23.4% in 2024.
• Pre-pandemic Comparison: The corresponding figure was 20.9% in 2018.
• Overall Class III Reading: Across government and private schools, the proportion increased from 20.5% in 2022 to 27.1% in 2024, close to the 27.3% recorded in 2018.
• Class V Reading: The proportion of Class V students able to read a Class II text increased from 42.8% in 2022 to 48.7% in 2024.
• Arithmetic Improvement: Basic arithmetic performance also improved across government and private schools.
• Pre-school Enrolment: The proportion of children aged three to five enrolled in some form of pre-school increased in 2024 compared with 2018 and 2022.

What is the Status of Higher Education?

Enrolment

Higher-education enrolment increased from:

• 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to
• 4.50 crore in 2023-24.

Gross Enrolment Ratio

Higher-education GER increased from:

• 23.7% in 2014-15 to
• 30% in 2023-24.

NEP 2020 aims to increase higher-education GER to 50% by 2035.

Higher-Education Out-turn

Higher-education out-turn refers to the number of students passing out of higher-education institutions in an academic year.

It increased from:

• 88.28 lakh in 2014-15 to
• more than 1.09 crore in 2023-24.

Inclusive Access

The rising participation of:

Women | Scheduled Castes | Scheduled Tribes | Other disadvantaged groups

reflects an expansion of educational access and equity.

What are the Major Government Policies and Initiatives?

Right to Education Act, 2009

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 made education a fundamental right for children aged six to 14 years.

Key Provisions

• free and compulsory elementary education;
• minimum standards for schools;
• equitable access to education;
• prohibition of discrimination;
• and protection against corporal punishment.

The Act shifted elementary education from a welfare objective to an enforceable right.

National Education Policy 2020

NEP 2020 provides a comprehensive framework for education reform.

Key Priorities

• foundational literacy and numeracy;
• multilingualism;
• holistic development;
• vocational education;
• technology-enabled learning;
• teacher training;
• professional development;
• and twenty-first-century skills.

It seeks to create a skilled, adaptable and future-ready workforce.

ULLAS

ULLAS—Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society, also called the New India Literacy Programme, is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme aligned with NEP 2020.

Target Group

• Adults aged 15 years and above;
• especially those who missed formal schooling.

Components

• foundational literacy and numeracy;
• critical life skills;
• digital and financial literacy;
• vocational skills;
• basic education;
• continuing education;
• and lifelong learning.

Vision

• Jan Jan Saakshar: Literacy for every person.
• Kartavya Bodh: Literacy promotion as a social duty.
• Janbhagidari: Community participation and volunteerism.

Implementation

• District- and block-level surveyors conduct door-to-door surveys.
• Non-literate adults and potential volunteer teachers are identified.
• Volunteers may include teachers, civil-society workers, ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers.
• Learners are connected with voluntary teachers and registered on the ULLAS platform.
• Instruction is provided through face-to-face and online modes.
• Learners appear for the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test, followed by certification.

ULLAS App

• Available on Android and iOS;
• provides teaching material in 27 languages.

Fully Literate States and Union Territories

Ten States and Union Territories declared themselves fully literate between 2024 and 2026:

Ladakh | Mizoram | Goa | Tripura | Himachal Pradesh | Chandigarh | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sikkim | Uttarakhand | Jammu and Kashmir

NIPUN Bharat

National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy was launched in July 2021 under Samagra Shiksha.

• Objective: Universal foundational literacy and numeracy by 2026-27.
• Learning Goal: Every child should acquire foundational skills by Grade 2.
• Age Group: Children aged three to eight years.

Samagra Shiksha

Samagra Shiksha is an integrated school-education programme aligned with SDG 4.

It subsumed:

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan;
• Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan;
• Teacher Education Scheme.

Focus Areas

• inclusive and equitable education;
• learning outcomes;
• foundational education;
• teacher development;
• vocational integration;
• and school effectiveness.

PM SHRI

Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India seeks to strengthen more than 14,500 exemplar schools.

It focuses on:

• implementation of NEP 2020;
• holistic development;
• inclusive and joyful learning;
• multilingual requirements;
• and diverse academic abilities.

The scheme covers existing elementary, secondary and senior-secondary schools run by Union, State and local governments.

Digital India and DIKSHA

DIKSHA—Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing provides digital content and educational resources to teachers and students.

It supports:

• digital classrooms;
• teacher resources;
• remote access;
• technology-enabled education;
• and reduction of geographical barriers.

PM e-VIDYA

PM e-VIDYA combines digital, online and on-air education.

It uses:

• online platforms;
• digital resources;
• television;
• radio;
• and multimodal learning.

It is expected to benefit nearly 25 crore school-going children.

PM POSHAN

Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman provides one hot cooked meal to:

• The scheme supports nutrition, 11.20 crore students;
• in Bal Vatikas and Classes I to VIII;
• across 10.36 lakh government and government-aided schools;
• on all school days.

attendance, enrolment, concentration and retention.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

The initiative promotes girls’ education and seeks to address gender disparities by:

• raising awareness about the value of girls;
• encouraging school participation;
• and promoting an inclusive educational environment.

PM Vidyalaxmi

PM Vidyalaxmi is a Central Sector Scheme that provides financial support for higher education.

Major Provisions

• Students admitted to Quality Higher Education Institutions are eligible for collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans.
• The Union Government provides a 75% credit guarantee for loans up to ₹7.5 lakh.
• Students with annual family income up to ₹8 lakh, who are not covered by another scholarship or interest-subvention scheme, receive 3% interest subvention.
• The interest benefit applies to loans up to ₹10 lakh during the moratorium period.

The scheme seeks to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent deserving students from pursuing higher education.

Significance of Literacy for Viksit Bharat

• Human-Capital Formation: Literacy creates a skilled, productive and adaptable workforce.
• Economic Growth: It improves employability, innovation, entrepreneurship, GDP and per-capita income.
• Women’s Empowerment: Female literacy strengthens health, financial independence, decision-making and political participation.
• Social Inclusion: Literacy improves access to welfare, banking, health services, legal remedies and public institutions.
• Digital Inclusion: It enables citizens to access online learning, digital payments and e-governance services.
• Democratic Participation: Literate citizens can make informed electoral choices and understand their rights and duties.
• Environmental Sustainability: Education supports green jobs, circular-economy practices and responsible consumption.
• SDG Linkages: Literacy directly advances SDG 4 and creates multiplier effects across poverty reduction, gender equality, health and decent work.

Challenges

• Equity and Inclusion: Socio-economic, gender, caste and regional disparities continue to limit equal access.
• Quality Disparities: Learning opportunities vary between rural and urban areas, States, and government and private schools.
• Learning-Outcome Gap: Enrolment does not always ensure reading comprehension or numerical ability.
• Secondary Dropout: Poverty, child labour, early marriage and inadequate infrastructure contribute to attrition.
• Teacher Constraints: Shortages, uneven qualifications, limited training and low motivation affect educational quality.
• Digital Divide: Unequal access to devices, electricity, internet and digital skills limits e-learning.
• Adult-Learner Barriers: Work responsibilities, migration, poverty and lack of confidence reduce participation.
• Administrative Delays: Bureaucratic procedures may slow implementation and reduce scheme effectiveness.
• Volunteer Dependence: ULLAS requires continuous recruitment, training and motivation of voluntary teachers.
• Language Diversity: Educational material must remain available in regional and tribal languages.
• Data Differences: Surveys may use different definitions, age categories and measurement methods.

Way Forward

• Targeted Support: Focus on rural women, tribal groups, migrants, persons with disabilities and low-literacy districts.
• Foundational Learning: Identify and address reading and numeracy gaps during the early years.
• Teacher Development: Improve recruitment, continuous training, motivation and classroom support.
• Secondary Retention: Expand scholarships, transport, hostels, counselling and safe infrastructure.
• Learning-Based Evaluation: Measure comprehension, arithmetic and practical skills rather than enrolment alone.
• Digital Inclusion: Expand affordable connectivity, devices and community digital-learning centres.
• Adult-Friendly Learning: Provide flexible schedules, local learning centres and livelihood-linked content.
• Volunteer Support: Train, mentor and recognise ULLAS voluntary teachers.
• Local-Language Material: Expand educational resources in regional and tribal languages.
• Life-Skill Integration: Combine literacy with financial awareness, health, digital safety and vocational education.
• Administrative Reform: Simplify procedures and improve Centre–State and inter-departmental coordination.
• Reliable Monitoring: Use PLFS, UDISE+, FLNAT, ASER and local surveys to identify and address educational gaps.

Conclusion

India’s literacy journey represents major progress in nation-building, but universal literacy requires more than higher enrolment or formal certification. Literacy must enable individuals to comprehend information, use technology, manage finances, acquire employable skills and participate meaningfully in society. Effective implementation of RTE, NEP 2020, ULLAS, NIPUN Bharat and related programmes can make a literate, skilled and empowered population the foundation of an inclusive and sustainable Viksit Bharat 2047.