Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan on Sunday congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir on achieving a 98.43 per cent literacy rate under the ULLAS–Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (NBSK), saying the milestone marked the fulfilment of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s long-cherished dream of universal education.
Describing the achievement as historic, Ramzan said Jammu and Kashmir becoming a fully literate region was a matter of immense pride and reflected the collective efforts of teachers, education officers, volunteers, social workers, students and learners who worked to take education to every corner of the Union Territory.
He said the milestone was not merely a statistical accomplishment but the result of sustained dedication by thousands of people associated with the literacy movement. He particularly lauded the role of the teaching community, saying teachers remain central to building an educated and aware society.
Recalling the educational reforms initiated by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Ramzan said the literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir was around six per cent when Sher-e-Kashmir began his efforts to expand access to education. At that time, he said, education was largely limited to privileged sections of society and remained inaccessible to vast sections of the population.
He said Sheikh Abdullah viewed education as a tool for social and political awakening and believed that no society could progress unless equal educational opportunities were available to every child and every section of society.
Ramzan said the National Conference leadership made education one of its foremost priorities through the establishment of schools, expansion of educational infrastructure, promotion of free education for underprivileged children and initiatives aimed at spreading educational awareness.
He added that Sheikh Abdullah’s vision extended beyond literacy and focused on building an empowered, enlightened and self-confident society where knowledge, education and social justice serve as instruments of progress and social transformation.
