Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on Wednesday, 8 July 2026 that Uttarakhand has achieved the status of the country's sixth fully literate state under the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Programme, crediting the milestone to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the sustained efforts of the double-engine government.

Context

In his post on X, CM Dhami wrote — 'उत्तराखण्ड ने उल्लास – नव भारत साक्षरता कार्यक्रम के अंतर्गत देश का छठा पूर्ण साक्षर राज्य बनने का गौरव प्राप्त किया है' — meaning 'Uttarakhand has earned the distinction of becoming the sixth fully literate state in the country under the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Programme.' He described the achievement as 'a powerful testament to Uttarakhand's collective commitment to knowledge, awareness, social empowerment, and public participation.'

The Chief Minister specifically acknowledged the 'invaluable contribution of teachers, volunteers, and the people of the state' alongside continuous government efforts, framing the milestone as a community-wide success rather than a purely administrative one.

Policy Backdrop

The ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Programme was launched by the central government in 2022 to promote foundational literacy and lifelong learning among adults, integrating digital tools and volunteer networks across India. It builds on a long lineage of national literacy missions, including the Saakshar Bharat scheme of 2009 and the targets set under the National Education Policy 2020, which calls for universal adult literacy by 2030.

The programme operates through a volunteer-driven model where school teachers and community volunteers conduct foundational literacy classes for adult learners who missed formal schooling. States are assessed and certified based on literacy outcome surveys conducted by the Ministry of Education.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of this milestone are adult learners across Uttarakhand — particularly women and residents of remote Himalayan districts — who have gained foundational reading, writing, and numeracy skills. Teachers and volunteers who drove grassroots implementation are central to the achievement cited by the Chief Minister.

For the BJP-led state government, the certification reinforces the political narrative of 'double-engine governance' — the argument that having the same party in power at both the state and central levels accelerates scheme delivery. The milestone is also significant for PM Modi's broader education agenda, adding a northern hill state to the list of fully literate states under ULLAS.

What's Next

The Ministry of Education is expected to release state-level literacy certification reports and survey findings in the coming months, which will provide independently verified data on Uttarakhand's literacy outcomes. Observers will watch whether the remaining states accelerate their own ULLAS implementation in response to this announcement.

The government's 2030 deadline for universal foundational literacy under the National Education Policy means that pressure on lagging states will intensify, and Uttarakhand's certification could serve as a model for programme execution in other hill and remote-geography states.