How Mizoram raced past Kerala to become India’s ‘first fully literate state’

Representative photo

Mizoram has officially been declared India’s first “fully literate state” under the Centre’s ULLAS programme, a milestone achieved not through numbers alone but by persistent efforts at the grassroots and an enduring culture of community participation. According to the Ministry of Education’s latest definition, a state is considered fully literate when it crosses 95% literacy. Mizoram’s literacy rate now stands at 98.2%, marking a historic achievement in education, as highlighted by a report by The Indian Express.

The state’s remarkable literacy feat was driven by adult learners like 54-year-old Laltinkimi of Tinghmun village, who, after months of study amidst gruelling farm work, proudly wrote her name on a classroom blackboard. She is one of 425 “neo-literates” across Mizoram who passed the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Test (FNALT) in the past year under the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) or New India Literacy Programme.

The Indian Express reported that Tinghmun, a remote village bordering Manipur, played a symbolic role in this achievement. The road to the village didn’t exist till 2009 and even now, connectivity remains difficult. Despite this, 17 villagers passed the literacy test in March 2024, thanks to the efforts of local teacher Malsawmthanga and his peers, who conducted house-to-house surveys to identify non-literate adults.

Andrew Lalrintluanga, Deputy Project Director, Mizoram Samagra Shiksha, said that this is the “last sprint, after decades of work on literacy”, as quoted by The Indian Express.

Mizoram's literacy journey began in the late 19th century when British missionaries codified the Mizo alphabet in Roman script. Over the decades, this linguistic foundation, bolstered by deep-rooted community mobilisation, particularly through the influential Young Mizo Association (YMA), helped literacy spread rapidly.

Professor Lalbiakdiki Hnamte of Mizoram University credited this achievement to “volunteerism and community participation”. “Everyone is a member of the YMA. They ensure the volunteers work in mission mode,” The Indian Express cited.

From a literacy rate of 0.92% in 1901, Mizoram had already climbed to 91.33% by the 2011 Census, placing it among India’s top three states. Yet the ULLAS programme targeted the last mile - non-literates aged 15 and above, identified through state-wide surveys conducted in 2023. Out of 3,026 such individuals, 1,843 were found to be “potential learners”.

Many were concentrated in the western districts of Lunglei, Mamit and Lawngtlai — home to minority communities like the Chakmas, Brus and Lais. Among them, the Chakmas, who primarily speak their own language and do not understand Mizo, posed a significant challenge. Initially tested in Mizo, they later received English-language primers. In January 2025, 105 Chakma learners passed the foundational test in English, The Indian Express reported.

M Vanhlamawii, an SSA official in Lawngtlai, said that providing mother tongue-based learning material would significantly help. The Chakma language, although taught in some schools under the Chakma Autonomous District Council, is not recognised as an official medium of instruction.

Despite this milestone, challenges remain. Professor Hnamte, who also heads an education reforms panel in the state, pointed out Mizoram’s weak performance in national-level assessments like the National Achievement Survey and competitive exams like NEET and JEE.

“There is too much emphasis on rote learning. Our students do well in their schools but struggle in national-level comparisons,” she was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. The committee is now reviewing textbooks, board exams and assessment methods to overhaul the system. “Literacy is just a starting point,” she added.

Meanwhile, Kerala - long seen as the benchmark for literacy in India - has contested Mizoram’s claim. As per different datasets, Kerala achieved “total literacy” in 1991 under National Literacy Mission norms and recorded a 96.2% literacy rate in the 2017-18 National Sample Survey. However, the latest 2023-24 Periodic Labour Force Survey places Kerala at 95.3%, behind Mizoram’s 98.2%.

Lijo George, Assistant Director, Kerala State Literacy Mission, was cited by The Indian Express as saying, “Going by the total literacy definition of above 95%, Kerala is already fully literate. Under ULLAS, we aim to achieve 100% literacy by 2027.”

Still, for many in Mizoram, the achievement is deeply personal. As 60-year-old Tinghmun resident Laldawnsang said, “I still can’t type on the phone, but I can write my name now,” cited The Indian Express.