Sikkim Joins Elite Club: India's Fifth Fully Literate State

A Historic Day for Sikkim

On 27 May 2026, Sikkim achieved something very special. It was declared a fully literate state. The announcement happened during the seventh convocation ceremony of Sikkim University in Gangtok. President Droupadi Murmu was present on this historic occasion. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang made the official declaration. Sikkim is now the fifth state in India to earn this honour. This is a proud moment for every citizen of this Himalayan state.

Sikkim Joins the Elite Club of Fully Literate States

Sikkim now belongs to a select group of Indian states. Before Sikkim, four other states achieved full literacy. They are:

• Mizoram  – First state to become fully literate (2025, literacy rate 98.2%)

• Goa  – Second state (May 2025)

• Tripura  – Third state and second in Northeast India (June 2025, literacy rate 95.6%)

• Himachal Pradesh  – Fourth state (September 2025, literacy rate 99.3%)

Sikkim is the  fifth  state overall. It is also the  third state in Northeast India  after Mizoram and Tripura. Two Union Territories – Ladakh and Chandigarh – have also achieved this status under the ULLAS programme. But Sikkim’s achievement stands out because of its mountainous terrain and scattered villages.

What is the ULLAS Initiative?

ULLAS is a short form. It stands for  Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society . It is a flagship literacy programme launched by the Ministry of Education in 2022. The programme runs from 2022 to 2027. It is also known as the  Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram  or New India Literacy Programme (NILP).

ULLAS was created under the  National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 . Its main goal is to promote adult education, functional literacy, and lifelong learning. The programme targets citizens aged  15 years and above  who missed formal schooling. It goes beyond basic reading and writing. It also covers numeracy, digital literacy, financial awareness, vocational learning, and essential life skills. The scheme works in a hybrid mode, using schools, colleges, and community engagement through volunteerism. More than 2.80 crore learners have registered on the ULLAS mobile app across India.

What Does ‘Fully Literate’ Mean?

‘Fully literate’ does not mean that every single person in the state can read and write. Instead, it is linked to adult literacy benchmarks. The Ministry of Education considers a state fully literate when:

• Literacy levels among adults cross around  95%

• Identified non-literate populations are covered through literacy drives

• Adults have basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills

• People have access to continuing education and vocational learning

Sikkim’s literacy rate reached  99.82%  under this framework. This is well above the 95% benchmark. Over 14,000 previously non-literate adults were certified through Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) tests conducted under ULLAS. This means the state successfully identified and taught adults who could not read or write before.