International Literacy Day 2026 Marks 60 Years Since UNESCO's Proclamation

10 September 2026National

International Literacy Day (ILD) was observed worldwide on 8 September 2026 under the theme "Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity." The year marks the 60th anniversary of UNESCO's proclamation of the day. The idea came from the 1965 World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy held in Tehran, Iran, which proposed 8 September, the Congress's opening day. The UNESCO General Conference formally proclaimed it at its 14th session in Paris in 1966, and the first observance was on 8 September 1967. UNESCO and the Government of Mexico jointly hosted the 2026 global celebration in Chiapas on 8-9 September.

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UNESCO was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Paris, France | India's national literacy programme is ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, launched in 2022 | Kerala was India's most literate state as per the 2011 Census

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