India has crossed a historic threshold, with the national literacy rate rising to 80.9% in 2023–24, up from 74% in 2011. Announcing the figures on International Literacy Day 2025, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the achievement encouraging but cautioned that numbers alone do not define progress.

“Literacy goes beyond reading and writing. It is about enabling people to live with confidence and independence,” Pradhan said in a virtual address, underscoring literacy as both a tool of empowerment and a foundation for self-reliance.

The minister credited the ULLAS–Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram for driving the surge, with over 3 crore learners and 42 lakh volunteers engaged nationwide. Of these, 1.83 crore learners have already attempted foundational literacy and numeracy assessments — 90% of them successfully. The program inclusivity has been deepened through study materials in 26 Indian languages.

Pradhan spotlighted states and union territories including Ladakh, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh, which have attained 100% literacy, calling their achievement “a testament to the power of collective effort by governments, communities, and volunteers.”

This year’s theme, “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era,” reflected the growing integration of technology in education. Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary noted that India has expanded the definition of literacy to encompass digital skills, leveraging its digital public infrastructure to fast-track inclusion. “What many countries take half a century to achieve, India has accomplished in a decade,” he said.

Even as India celebrates progress, Pradhan reminded the nation that the true measure of literacy lies not just in statistics, but in the ability of every citizen to lead a life of dignity, opportunity, and independence.