Goa achieves 100% literacy, CM Sawant says, 'Sustained collective efforts, NEP 2020 yielded the result'

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. (File photo/PTI)

In a landmark achievement, Goa was declared a fully literate state by the Ministry of Education on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the state's journey toward inclusive and quality education.

The announcement was made on the occasion of 39th Goa Statehood Day.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, “Goa is now a fully literate state under the ULLAS Nav Bharat Programme. Our sustained collective efforts to strengthen the education sector with New Advancements, NEP 2020 have yielded the result”.
"The state government honours Goa's rich heritage and celebrates the spirit of Parshuram Bhoomi, a land of courage, culture, and progress. From liberation in 1961 to statehood in 1987, Goa's journey has been one of resilience and pride. Goa has also given importance to Happiness Index of its citizens," he added.

With the motto "Jan-Jan Sakshar", the initiative was instrumental in bringing lifelong learning to every citizen aged 15 years and above, by mobilizing a vast network of volunteers that included retired teachers, NSS units, students from teacher training colleges, and field-level education professionals, according to a statement by the government of Goa.

The literacy campaign began with the identification of 2,981 non-literate learners across the twelve talukas of Goa. These learners were trained through schools and supported by Resource Adult Trainee Coordinators (RATCs), alongside a dedicated team of educators and student volunteers. To support effective adult education, the state introduced ULLAS primers in Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, and English. These multilingual materials emphasized not just reading and numeracy, but also financial literacy and essential life skills.

The ULLAS (Understanding for Lifelong Learning for All in Society) Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, also known as New India Literacy Programme (NILP), is a centrally sponsored initiative that aligns with National Education Policy 2020 and aims to empower those above the age of 15 who missed formal schooling.

It focuses on imparting functional literacy, including reading, writing and numeracy skills to achieve the target of 100 per cent literacy nationwide by 2030, according to PTI.

Goa, which was elevated from a union territory (UT) to a state in 1987, became the second state after Mizoram to be declared a fully functionally literate state.