Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has been declared a fully literate Union Territory under the ULLAS–Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, achieving a literacy rate of over 95 per cent and securing the 10th position nationally, Education Minister Sakeena Masood Itoo said on Saturday.
Addressing a Teachers’ Day function at SKICC Srinagar, the minister said J&K had become the largest State or Union Territory in the country so far to attain the status of a fully literate UT. According to Government of India norms, literacy levels exceeding 95 per cent are treated as full literacy.
According to an official statement, Itoo said the achievement reflected the impact of literacy initiatives carried out across the Union Territory and highlighted the role of community participation in expanding access to education.
The minister said that between 2023 and 2026, the School Education Department identified around 7.58 lakh non-literates through door-to-door surveys under the ULLAS programme. Of them, 5.53 lakh learners qualified the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), including 3,16,883 learners during 2025-26 alone.
She credited teachers, volunteers, learners, educational institutions, field functionaries and district administrations for contributing to the literacy campaign, the statement said.
The minister said the government would focus on sustaining the gains made under the programme by promoting lifelong learning, digital literacy, vocational skills and financial awareness.
On the occasion, Itoo inaugurated several initiatives under Samagra Shiksha, including 460 civil works worth Rs 38 crore aimed at strengthening school infrastructure across the Union Territory.
She also inaugurated 2,403 vocational laboratories in high and higher secondary schools to enhance skill-based education and improve students’ employability prospects.
The minister further inaugurated the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) in Srinagar, a facility intended to enable real-time monitoring of learning outcomes and educational indicators in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The declaration of J&K as a fully literate Union Territory marks a significant milestone in the region’s education sector and is expected to support broader efforts to improve educational outcomes, skills development and social empowerment.
