J&K declared fully literate under GoI’s ULLAS scheme

LG congratulates all stakeholders

Nishikant Khajuria

JAMMU, Aug 4: In a historic milestone, Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has joined the league of fully literate nine States/ UTs under Government of India's ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) scheme.

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J&K is having the largest population among all the States/ UTs declared fully literate so far under the ULLAAS scheme, also known as Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or the New India Literacy Programme (NILP).

So far nine States and UTs have declared themselves as fully literate under ULLAS. They are: Ladakh, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Island, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. J&K is 10th in the list.

The criterion for declaring a State/UT fully literate is achieving a literacy rate of 95 percent or above, acknowledging that 100 percent literacy is unfeasible due to factors such as advanced age and intellectual abilities.

Out of 180317 non-literates identified in Jammu and Kashmir, 178680 have been declared passed (99.09 percent) under the ULLAS scheme.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has extended his heartiest congratulations to the teachers, administrators and every stakeholder for this historic milestone.

In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor wrote: "UT of Jammu Kashmir proudly joins the league of Fully Literate States/UTs under the ULLAS scheme of Government of India. With 99.09% success, it stands tall as the largest population region to achieve this milestone. Congratulations to our teachers, administrators and every stakeholder who made this possible. Let us always remember that education is the truest force of empowerment and our collective responsibility is to keep advancing this mission."

ULLAAS is a Centrally sponsored scheme of the Union Ministry of Education, aimed at making 5 crore adults (aged 15+) who missed formal schooling functionally literate. Driven by community volunteerism, it uses a hybrid model of face-to-face teaching and digital learning through the DIKSHA Portal and ULLAS Mobile App in 22 regional languages.

Schools act as the primary implementation unit. Students, teachers, retirees, and NCC/NSS volunteers teach learners using the app's online modules (OTLAS). Annual Foundational Literacy Assessment Tests (FLNAT) are conducted in local schools to certify learners. Certification is jointly issued by NIOS and Department of School Education and Literacy.

The scheme moves away from the old, narrow idea of literacy - where simply being able to sign name was considered "literate" - toward a much broader, functional definition. It is aimed to link literacy with practical, real-world competencies: digital literacy, financial literacy, and basic life skills, not just reading and writing.

According to the official 2011 Census, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a literacy rate of 67.16 percent for individuals aged seven years and above, while the last year Government survey data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey reports the literacy rate at 82 percent

Now with 99.09 percent success under the ULLAAS scheme, J&K has achieved the historic milestone and joined the league of fully literate States/UTs.