India marked International Literacy Day 2025 with celebrations organized by the Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The event, held under the theme “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era,” brought together officials, volunteer teachers, and learners to reaffirm the country’s commitment to achieving universal literacy.
Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary, in his address as Chief Guest, highlighted that Himachal Pradesh has become the fifth fully literate State/UT in the country, following Tripura, Mizoram, Goa, and Ladakh. He emphasized that true literacy extends beyond reading and writing to include critical skills such as civic awareness, digital access, and financial awareness. Chaudhary paid tribute to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, citing him as a powerful advocate for education.
In a virtual address, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan stated that India’s literacy rate has risen to 80.9 percent from 74 percent in 2011, but emphasized that real progress will be achieved only when every citizen is literate. He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of education as the foundation of civilization and called for a collective effort to build a developed and literate India.
Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of DoSEL, noted the significant rise in India’s literacy rate from 12 percent post-independence. He urged every literate citizen to teach at least one non-literate individual and highlighted the ULLAS program’s large number of registered learners and volunteer teachers. Kumar also stressed the importance of the blended learning approach of ULLAS, which combines both offline and online learning. He called for a collective mission to ensure that within five years, every non-literate person aged 15 and above is made literate.
During the event, a Compendium of teaching and learning materials from the ULLAS initiative was released, which celebrates India’s rich linguistic, cultural, and social heritage. Representatives from Ladakh and Goa shared their experiences and best practices in achieving full literacy.
The Government of India organized ULLAS Literacy Week 2025 from September 1-8, conducting a nationwide drive to register non-literates and volunteers across all states and Union Territories. The celebration concluded by reaffirming India’s resolve to achieve a fully literate Bharat.
The video titled International Literacy Day 2025 | Theme: Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era provides a live stream of the event.
