India’s Goal of 100% Literacy by 2030 – The Bihar Challenge

Why in News?

The national ambition of full literacy faces a major obstacle in the form of Bihar’s non-participation in the Centre’s flagship adult literacy programme, ULLAS.

What is the ULLAS scheme ?

• ULLAS – The ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) scheme was launched by the Union Government in 2022 to address adult illiteracy in a structured and measurable manner.
• Key Features of ULLAS
  • Targets non-literate persons aged 15 years and above
  • Door-to-door identification through surveys
  • Training in basic literacy and numeracy (up to Class 3 level)
  • Focus on functional literacy, including Reading, writing, numeracy and Digital and financial literacy.
  • Assessment through a standardized test
  • Successful learners receive a literacy certificate
• Definition of literate state – The scheme defines a State/UT with 95% literacy as being “fully literate”, acknowledging practical limitations in achieving absolute universality.
• ULLAS Alignment with NEP 2020 – NEP 2020 explicitly calls for:
  • Adult education “as soon as possible”
  • Lifelong learning frameworks
  • Functional literacy beyond rote learning
• ULLAS operationalises these goals by combining literacy with life skills, making it central to India’s education reform agenda.
• Literacy is a foundational pillar of human development and democratic participation.
• It directly impacts employment, health outcomes, gender equality, and economic growth.
• Recognising this, India has committed to achieving 100% literacy by 2030, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4).

What is the current status of literacy in India?

• PLFS – According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023–24:
• National literacy rate (age 7+) – 80.9%
  • Male literacy – 87.2%
  • Female literacy – 74.6%
• Fully literate states – Five States/UTs have already declared themselves fully literate under ULLAS:
  • Himachal Pradesh
  • Mizoram
  • Goa
  • Tripura
  • Ladakh
  • Several other States and one Union Territory are close to achieving this status.
• Bihar’s Literacy Indicators
  • Literacy rate (2023–24 PLFS) - 74.3%
  • Second lowest in India.
  • Female literacy - 66.1%
• Nearly 2 crore non-literate persons aged 15–59
  • 67 lakh males.
  • 1.32 crore females.
• Historically, Bihar has lagged behind:
  • 2011 Census literacy rate - 61.8% (lowest in India)
  • Persistent gender and rural-urban gaps.
• Given these figures, Bihar carries one of the highest illiteracy loads in the country, making its absence from ULLAS a major concern.

What has been the union government’s response?

• Financial and Administrative Measures
  • ₹35.09 crore approved for Bihar in 2023–24.
  • ₹15.79 crore (75% of central share) released.
• Shortcoming from Bihar – The state did not:
  • Submit annual plans.
  • Transfer funds to the Single Nodal Agency (SNA).
  • Implement programme activities and the Funds remain unutilised.
• Ministerial Intervention – In October 2024, Union Education Minister wrote to the Bihar Chief Minister, highlighting:
  • The urgency of Bihar’s participation
  • The scale of adult illiteracy
  • The risk to India’s 2030 literacy goal
• The Centre also warned of interest penalties due to delayed fund transfers, as per Department of Expenditure norms.

Why has Bihar not joined the ULLAS scheme?

• Bihar’s own scheme – Bihar has cited the existence of its own literacy programme, Akshar Anchal, as the primary reason for non-participation.
• Akshar Anchal Scheme – It is operational for nearly 15 years
• Targets – The scheme targets the following
  • Dalits, Mahadalits
  • Minority communities
  • Extremely Backward Classes
  • Women
• Focus areas
  • Schooling for children (6–14 years)
  • Basic literacy for women (15–45 years)
• Challenges of the scheme – While Akshar Anchal addresses important social groups, it lacks:
  • National standardisation
  • Certification parity
  • Integration with NEP-aligned monitoring mechanisms

What are the broader issues involved?

• Centre–State Coordination – Education is a Concurrent List subject, requiring cooperation rather than parallelism.
• Bihar’s refusal highlights coordination challenges in federal governance.
• Standardisation of Literacy Outcomes – ULLAS provides:
  • Uniform definitions
  • Common assessment frameworks
  • National comparability
• Gender Inequality – With female literacy at just 66.1%, Bihar’s non-participation disproportionately affects women’s empowerment and workforce participation.
• National Credibility – India’s commitment to SDGs and NEP 2020 depends on inclusive participation by high-burden states.

What should be done?

• Cooperative Federalism – Centre and Bihar should explore convergence between ULLAS and Akshar Anchal
• Allow flexibility while ensuring national standards
• Outcome-Based Monitoring – Independent assessments
  • Transparent reporting
  • Integration with Census and PLFS data
• Focus on Women and Marginalised Groups – Community-based learning centres
• Incentives for female learners
• Use of local languages and digital tools
• Political and Administrative Will – Literacy must be treated as a developmental priority, not an administrative formality.

What lies ahead?

• India’s aspiration of achieving 100% literacy by 2030 is both laudable and necessary for inclusive development.
• However, the goal remains unattainable without the active participation of high-burden states like Bihar.
• While state-specific initiatives have value, alignment with national frameworks such as ULLAS is essential to ensure uniform standards, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
• Resolving the Bihar impasse through cooperative federalism will be decisive in determining whether India’s literacy mission becomes a reality or remains an unfulfilled promise.

Reference

The Hindu| The Indian Express