Lakshadweep Declared India's First 100% Literate Union Territory Under ULLAS

13 October 2026National

Lakshadweep was declared a 100% literate Union Territory by Administrator Praful Patel at a function in Kavaratti on 11 October, making it the first UT to reach full literacy under the ULLAS scheme. A baseline survey had identified 1,113 adult non-literates, all of whom cleared the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) after doorstep and home-based teaching and re-testing drives run by the UT's Department of Education. ULLAS targets everyone aged 15 and above who missed formal schooling; Ladakh had earlier achieved full functional literacy and Uttarakhand was declared a fully literate State under the same programme.

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ULLAS stands for Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society, also called Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or the New India Literacy Programme, run by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education | ULLAS has five components - foundational literacy and numeracy, critical life skills, basic education, vocational skills and continuing education - under the vision 'Jan Jan Saakshar' | Lakshadweep's capital is Kavaratti and it is India's smallest Union Territory by area, headed by an Administrator

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