Chandigarh achieves 99.93% literacy, gets ‘fully literate U.T.’ tag

Chandigarh attained 99.93% literacy rate, thus making it a fully literate Union Territory, said Gulab Chand Katari, the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh. It is the sixth State/U.T. in the country and the second Union Territory to achieve the feat.

To celebrate this achievement, Chandigarh’s Education Department held a “felicitation of neo-literates”, where newly literate individuals were honoured. Mr. Kataria, the chief guest at the event, described the achievement as a historic moment for Chandigarh. He said the success achieved under the Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) has helped the city surpass the 95% literacy benchmark set under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Mr. Kataria said Chandigarh’s literacy rate has increased from 93.7% to 99.93%, with 15,556 citizens participating in the programme and 14,711 successfully clearing the literacy assessment. The Governor also highlighted the remarkable leap in women’s literacy from 90.7% to 99.89%, calling it a significant step towards women’s empowerment.

Emphasising that literacy is the beginning of lifelong learning, he said education will play a crucial role in achieving the vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047.” He encouraged citizens to continue learning and contribute to building a knowledge-driven and progressive society.

The Governor credited the achievement to the collective efforts of the Chandigarh administration, Education Department, teachers, volunteers, NGOs and social organisations who worked tirelessly to reach non-literate citizens.