Chandigarh: Chandigarh has reached a significant milestone in education after recording a literacy rate of 99.93 percent, effectively making the Union Territory fully literate. The achievement was celebrated with a special ceremony organised by the Education Department of the Chandigarh Administration to honour citizens who recently learned to read and write.
The event, titled the ULLAS–Nav Saksharon Ka Alankaran Samaroh, recognised individuals who became literate through the government’s adult education initiative. Newly literate participants were felicitated for completing the programme and passing the literacy assessment.
The ceremony was attended by Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, who served as the chief guest. H. Rajesh Prasad, Chief Secretary of the Union Territory, was present as the guest of honour. Senior officials, educators and newly literate citizens also participated in the event.
Addressing the gathering, Kataria described the achievement as a landmark moment for the city. He noted that the success of the ULLAS initiative helped the Union Territory surpass the 95 percent literacy target envisioned under the National Education Policy 2020. With this accomplishment, Chandigarh has become the sixth state or Union Territory in India to attain full literacy and only the second UT to do so.
Officials revealed that the literacy rate in Chandigarh rose sharply from 93.7 percent to 99.93 percent during the programme. A total of 15,556 residents enrolled in the initiative, and 14,711 of them successfully completed the assessment process.
The programme also marked a significant improvement in women’s education. Female literacy climbed from 90.7 percent to 99.89 percent, a development authorities described as an important step toward strengthening gender equality and social empowerment.
Kataria credited the accomplishment to the combined efforts of government departments, educators, volunteers, non-governmental organisations and community groups that worked to identify and teach non-literate adults across the city. He also praised the determination of the participants, many of whom gained not only reading and writing skills but also basic digital literacy.
Emphasising the broader importance of education, the governor said literacy should serve as a gateway to continuous learning and personal development. He added that improving educational access will play a vital role in realising the national vision of building a developed and knowledge-driven India by 2047.
Among those present at the ceremony were Prerna Puri, Secretary (Education); Nitish Singla, Director of School Education; and Surender Singh Dahiya, Director of SCERT Chandigarh, along with officials of the Education Department and the newly literate participants who were honoured during the event.
