Fact-Check: Did Mizoram Surpass Kerala To Become India's First Fully Literate State?
The Indian state of Mizoram has been declared India’s first fully literate state, with the state reaching a literacy rate of 98.2 percent, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2023–2024).
Announcing the achievement for the north eastern state, the Ministry of Education, in a social media post on May 20, wrote, “Today, Mizoram is set to be officially declared a fully literate state under ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram – the first in India to achieve this remarkable feat.”
Meanwhile, Union Ministry of Education in 2023 stated that Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India, followed by Lakshadweep and Mizoram, a position the state maintained since 1991, conflicting its latest announcement of Mizoram being the country’s first fully literate state.
Today, Mizoram is set to be officially declared a fully literate state under ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram – the first in India to achieve this remarkable feat.
Hon’ble Minister of State for Education and Minister of State (IC) for Skill Development &… pic.twitter.com/0zfFMiBRk3
— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) May 20, 2025
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Here Is The Fact-Check
It was on April 18, 1991, that Kerala was officially named the first State in the country to achieve total literacy. The declaration was formally made by Chelakodan Ayishumma, a newly literate woman and the brand ambassador of Kerala’s literacy movement. On April 18, 2025, Kerala celebrated 34 years of the announcement as a totally literate State. Therefore, the declaration that Mizoram is India’s first fully literacy state can be technically flawed.
Kerala topped the list with 93.91 percent literacy rate, as per the 2011 census, while the literacy level was 91.58 percent in Mizoram, both ranking the most literate states in India. Mizoram was ranked as the second most literate state after Kerala. In 2023, responding to a query in Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State or Education, Annapurna Devi had stated that Kerala has the highest literacy rate with 96% followed by Lakshadweep with 91.85 % and Mizoram with 91.33 %.
Why Mizoram Declared India’s First Fully Literacy State?
Due to its demographic advantage, Mizoram has always ranked high in education, including during the 2011 Census when it secured second position among the most literate states. The state is the second least populated in the country, after Sikkim. The northeastern state has seen consistent improvement through effective campaign and community-driven initiatives.
As per the latest survey conducted under the New India Literacy Programme (NILP), around 3,026 individuals in the state were still illiterate, and out of them, 1,692 were found eligible for basic literacy interventions and were enrolled in the programme, as per a report by Assam Tribune.
However, Kerala reportedly has many uncertified individuals, requiring active certification to meet ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) criteria. According to a survey conducted as part of the third phase of the ULLAS, Kerala still requires 92,000 more people to become literate to truly attain full literacy. While it holds a high literacy rate of 96.2%, and was often considered India’s most literate state, a considerable number of people remain illiterate.
Last month, Kerala government announced that the state has become the first to achieve total digital literacy, noting that it is now waiting for the confirmation from the President of India to make the official announcement.
Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority’s Response
Timeline contacted Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority for its response, and an official has confirmed that ULLAS might have found Mizoram as the fully literate state by now, especially considering its demography. The official stated that there are many people in coastal and tribal areas in the state yet to be identified. “The state literacy mission along with ULLAS is actively bridging this gap,” he added. The official, however, underlined that the first state to be declared as fully literate in India will be Kerala.
Mizoram was formally declared India’s fully literate state by Chief Minister Lalduhoma at a state-level function held at the Mizoram University auditorium in Tanhril. Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary was also present at the function. Taking to X platform, the chief minister asked people to renew their commitment to sustaining literacy through continuous education, digital access, and vocational skill training.
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“Let us now aim higher: digital literacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial skill for all Mizos,” Lalduhoma wrote on X.
“As we celebrate this achievement, we also renew our commitment to sustaining literacy through continuous education, digital access, and vocational skill training”
“Let us now aim higher: digital literacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial skill for all Mizos”
– CM pic.twitter.com/8aPNdenGJ4
— CM Office Mizoram (@CMOMizoram) May 20, 2025
The state’s achievement is the result of the efforts by the School Education Department, especially the literacy mission carried out under the NILP, also known as ULLAS. The mission is part of the integration of government policy and grassroots volunteerism as a model of community-led change.
A team of 292 volunteer educators including students, teachers, government staff, Cluster Resource Center Coordinators (CRCCs), and other educationists are reported to be the backbone of the milestone feat.
