Mizoram has become India’s first fully literate state, Chief Minister Lalduhoma declared on Tuesday.
The chief minister made the announcement in Aizawl in the presence of Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary.
Mizoram had a literacy rate of 91.3%, according to the 2011 Census. This made the state the third most literate in the country.
Following this, the New India Literacy Programme, a centrally-sponsored scheme, was implemented to educate the remaining persons, the Union education ministry said.
The literacy rate in Mizoram has crossed the 95%-mark, which is considered by the Union education ministry to be equivalent to full literacy.
On Tuesday, Lalduhoma said that becoming a fully literate state was a “historic moment in the journey” of Mizoram. “It is a transformational milestone, one that speaks to the collective will, discipline, and vision of our people,” the chief minister said.
Lalduhoma said that the high level of literacy in the state must be sustained “through continuous education, digital access and vocational skill training”.
“Let us now aim higher: digital literacy, financial literacy and entrepreneurial skill for all Mizos,” he added.
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