Mizoram Becomes India’s First Fully Literate State
In a landmark achievement under the “Nav Bharat SaakshartaKaryakram,” Mizoram has been officially declared the first fully literate state in India. The announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Education during a special event held in Aizawl, the state capital.
As per the Ministry, Mizoram has now achieved 97% literacy among adults across the state. All villages have been covered, and the state has successfully enrolled all eligible individuals under basic literacy programs. Previously, Kerala was widely recognized for its high literacy rate, but Mizoram has now surpassed it in terms of full coverage and adult participation.
Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi praised Mizoram’s efforts and declared it a model for other states in implementing grassroots literacy campaigns.
According to the 2011 Census, Mizoram had a literacy rate of 74.04%, but recent efforts have accelerated the rate significantly. Over 10.91 lakh people in the state are now literate, out of which nearly 13 lakh adult learners received education through the literacy mission program.
New Apprenticeship Push in Northeast India
In another major initiative, the government is also focusing on enhancing apprenticeship and skill development opportunities for youth in the northeastern region.
Key highlights:
- Eight northeastern states will receive special apprenticeship grants.
- Up to 1,500 rupees per apprentice per month will be provided to employers for onboarding youth.
- A new industrial development policy will include incentives to promote apprenticeship in private and public sector companies across the region.
As of now, nearly 1.37 crore apprentices have been trained across India since the 2016 Skill India campaign. Special efforts are now being made to extend similar training, internships, and industrial exposure in states like Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
