Chandigarh has achieved 99.93% literacy rate, making it a fully literate Union Territory, said Gulab Chand Katari, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh. It is the sixth State/UT in the country and the second Union Territory to achieve this.
To celebrate this achievement, the Chandigarh Education Department organized a ‘Neo-literate felicitation’ where newly literate individuals were felicitated. Mr. Kataria, the chief guest of the event, described the achievement as a historic moment for Chandigarh. He said the success achieved under the Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) program has helped the city surpass the 95% literacy benchmark set under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Mr. Kataria said the literacy rate in Chandigarh has increased from 93.7% to 99.93%, with 15,556 citizens participating in the program and 14,711 successfully completing the literacy assessment. The governor also highlighted the remarkable jump in female literacy from 90.7% to 99.89%, which he described as a significant step towards women empowerment.
Emphasizing that literacy is the beginning of lifelong learning, he said education will play a key role in achieving the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’. He called on citizens to continue learning and contribute to building a knowledge-based and progressive society.
The Governor attributed the success to the collective efforts of the Chandigarh administration, the Education Department, teachers, volunteers, NGOs and social organizations who worked tirelessly to reach out to the illiterate citizens.
Published – 10 March 2026 22:21 IST
