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Lakshadweep declared fully literate under ULLAS literacy scheme

By CAShorts DeskPublished Source: The Hindu; News On AIR; PIB (Ministry of Education)

Lakshadweep declared fully literate under ULLAS literacy scheme
Illustration (AI-generated)

Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel on October 11, 2026 declared the Union Territory fully literate under ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, at a function in Kavaratti. Its Department of Education had identified 1,113 adult non-literates in a survey. The department says all eligible learners then passed the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT).

Syllabus: Prelims · Economy & Social Development; GS2 · Welfare of Vulnerable Sections; GS2 · Health, Education & Human Resources

Why this matters for UPSC

GS2 welfare schemes and education: Prelims can ask ULLAS's ministry, age group, period and funding type, and the 95% full-literacy benchmark; GS2 Mains, about adult literacy and the National Education Policy 2020's goal of full literacy.

Why it matters

An adult who learns to read, write and compute with comprehension can check a bank slip, read a government notice or fill in a form without help; the Ministry of Education ties literacy to financial transactions, job applications and understanding of rights. That is what the 1,113 adults identified in Lakshadweep's survey were taught and tested on, according to the UT's Department of Education. The declaration also matters beyond the islands: the Union Government aims at full literacy by 2030 and has set a 95% benchmark for it, and each State or UT declared fully literate shows what a volunteer-driven, door-to-door model can achieve. The harder question for larger States is whether such learners keep their skills once the drive ends.

Prelims pointers

  • ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram: Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Ministry of Education, 2022-27, for adults aged 15+; aligned with National Education Policy 2020.
  • ULLAS components: Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills and Continuing Education.
  • Full literacy benchmark: 95% literacy in a State or UT may be treated as fully literate (Department of School Education and Literacy, 2024).
  • Literacy, as redefined in 2024: reading, writing and computing with comprehension, along with critical life skills such as digital and financial literacy.
  • SDG 4.6: all youth and a substantial proportion of adults to achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030.
  • Article 239: the President administers a Union Territory through an Administrator; Lakshadweep has no legislature.
  • Lakshadweep: coral islands in the Arabian Sea; headquarters Kavaratti; under the jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court.

Practise a UPSC-style question

With reference to ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, consider the following statements:

1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Education of the Government of India.

2. It is meant for adults aged 18 years and above who could not complete schooling.

3. It is a Central Sector Scheme fully funded by the Union Government.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. (a) 1 only
  2. (b) 2 only
  3. (c) 3 only
  4. (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show the answer

Answer: (a) 1 only

1 is correct: ULLAS is run by the Ministry of Education through its Department of School Education and Literacy. 2 is incorrect: the scheme covers adults aged 15 years and above, not 18. 3 is incorrect: ULLAS is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, whose cost the Centre shares with States and UTs, not a Central Sector Scheme.

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