ULLAS and 'fully literate' status
The 2022-27 adult literacy scheme under which a state or UT with 95 percent literacy can declare itself fully literate.
What the paper can ask
- Centrally sponsored scheme implemented from 2022 to 2027; based on volunteerism and 'Kartavya Bodh'.
- Above 95 percent literacy is treated as full literacy by the Ministry of Education.
- Ladakh was the first administrative unit to declare full literacy (24 June 2024); Mizoram the first state (20 May 2025); Goa, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh followed by September 2025. (as of 23 Oct 2026)
- More than 3 crore learners and 42 lakh volunteers had enrolled by September 2025. (as of 23 Oct 2026)
Latest
Lakshadweep was declared a fully literate Union Territory under ULLAS on 12 October 2026 by Administrator Praful Patel.
Why exams ask
Each new declaration brings a question on which state or UT it was, which was first, and the 95 percent rule.
The full story
ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society), also called Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or the New India Literacy Programme, is a centrally sponsored scheme running from 2022 to 2027 to teach adults aged 15 and above who never learned to read. It works through volunteers in the spirit of 'Kartavya Bodh' (duty), with learners taking the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT).