Over the past few years, India has quietly but steadily transformed its literacy landscape. Spearheaded by our most dynamic Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s ambitious policy push—rooted in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the NIPUN Bharat Mission, and ULLAS (the New India Literacy Programme)—this drive is now delivering visible, measurable results across both child and adult education.
However, the responsibility does not rest with the Centre alone. All state governments, irrespective of political ideology, must cooperate and implement these initiatives in both letter and spirit. Only then can the national effort truly achieve its full potential.
At the heart of this transformation lies NEP 2020, which reimagined India’s schooling framework through its innovative 5+3+3+4 structure. It marks a decisive shift from outdated rote learning to a system grounded in critical thinking, conceptual clarity, and holistic development. A core pillar of this reform is foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), with the government setting an ambitious target of achieving universal FLN for all primary school children by 2026–27. By strengthening learning at the earliest stage, NEP 2020 is not just keeping children in school—it is making them truly “school ready.”
Another key NEP reform is multilingual instruction, recommending the use of the mother tongue at least until Grade 5. This lowers language barriers, improves comprehension, and nurtures deeper understanding. Simultaneously, vocational education begins from Grade 6, empowering students with practical skills that are directly relevant for the economy. Teachers, too, are being upskilled — by 2030, NEP mandates a 4-year integrated B.Ed. to produce highly qualified educators. Plus, initiatives like DIKSHA and SWAYAM are harnessing technology to bring learning resources to every corner of the country.
To accelerate these gains, the NIPUN Bharat Mission, launched in July 2021, is laser-focused on foundational literacy and numeracy for children up to Grade 3 — the most critical years for developing reading, writing, and math fluency.
On the adult education front, the ULLAS (Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram) campaign is a game-changer. Targeting those aged 15 and above who missed formal schooling, ULLAS uses a hybrid model — both offline community volunteer teachers and online modules — to teach not only literacy and numeracy, but critical life skills, digital and financial literacy, and even vocational skills. The goal is to certify 5 crore learners in foundational literacy by 2026–27.
The payoffs are already showing. According to recent reports, India’s overall literacy rate (for ages seven and up) has climbed to 80.9%, up from 74% in 2011. Even more striking is the youth literacy rate (ages 15–24), which now stands at around 97%, according to data from MOSPI’s CAMS survey.
These are not just numbers — they reflect big, structural change. The rural literacy rate, for instance, has jumped from 67.8% in 2011 to 77.5% in 2023–24, according to PLFS data. This represents a 10 percentage-point rise in just over a decade, a powerful signal that literacy is reaching even historically underserved communities.
State-level achievements amplify this narrative. Tiny Mizoram has emerged as a star, posting a 98.2% literacy rate among those aged seven and above, according to PLFS 2023–24 — making it one of India’s most fully literate states. Such success underscores the power of localized efforts, fueled by central schemes like ULLAS.
ULLAS itself is scaling rapidly. According to the government, more than 3 crore learners have joined the movement, supported by 42 lakh volunteers, and nearly 1.83 crore learners have appeared for the foundational literacy assessment — with a remarkable 90% success rate. The programme is also highly inclusive, offering learning material in 26 Indian languages, making sure no community is left behind.
Schemes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao complement these efforts by fighting gender disparity — better school infrastructure, awareness campaigns, and safety measures ensure more girls enroll and stay in school.
All of this is more than policy: it’s a concrete roadmap to a more literate, empowered India. By tackling education from the ground up — through foundational learning, mother-tongue instruction, adult education, and life skills — the Modi government is steadily unlocking India’s human capital. The goal of 100% youth and adult literacy by 2035, once ambitious, now seems increasingly within reach.
In sum, the literacy drive under the Modi government is not just making headlines — it is reshaping India’s future. Through bold policies, targeted missions, and grassroots mobilization, the country is building a more inclusive, literate, and capable society. And as these initiatives deepen, the dream of a fully literate India no longer feels distant — it feels inevitable.
