Month of May started with a real bad news that enrolment of children among the schools across country fell by 37 lakh, of which 22 lakh were from Uttar Pradesh alone. The downward trend was witnessed among 23 out of 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The massive negative trend in U.P. surprised all, given that it is led by a dynamic Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and calls for Beti Padhao (educate the girl child) are heard the loudest in this fourth largest state.

However, within days the comforting news came from a far east state of Mizoram, which became the first Indian state to achieve a “fully functional” literacy on 20 May. Days later, Goa also declared it has acquired a “fully functional” literacy on 30 May, yesterday. Among Union Territories, Ladakh became the first administrative unit to declare full literacy last year.

But it serve no good rating one state over the other just on numbers. District of Prayagraj alone has a population of 59 lakh, much larger than populations of Goa (15 lakh) and Mizoram (11 lakh) put together. Moreover Goa and Mizoram are more niftier for an easy administration compared to an unwieldy large Uttar Pradesh in terms of population and geography.

While jury is still out to study debacle of Uttar Pradesh and the likes in primary school education, it does serve good to take a peek into educational ecosystem of these two tiny states:

Goa: According to the PLFS Report 2023-24, Goa’s literacy rate stands at 93.6%, one of the highest in the country, with strong performance across both male and female populations. However, as per Goa’s own survey, the state has surpassed this figure and attained full literacy.

To maximise outreach, the Government of Goa applied the Whole-of-Government approach. The state government actively collaborated with multiple departments, including the Directorate of Panchayats, the Directorate of Municipal Administration, the Directorate of Social Welfare, the Directorate of Planning & Statistics, and the Directorate of Women & Child Development. These departments played a pivotal role in identifying non-literates within their respective jurisdictions.

In addition, Swayampurna Mitras were engaged in awareness campaigns, assisting learners in receiving literacy certification and facilitating their integration into learning modules. Field workers from the Social Welfare Department were also instrumental in the identification process. The efforts of the Goa Education team, including SCERT, local administrations, school heads, and volunteers, were widely appreciated. Goa’s success showcases the potential of people-centric, volunteer-driven literacy campaigns, supported by inter-departmental cooperation and inclusive educational tools. It sets a precedent for other states to follow in achieving the national goal of full literacy by 2030.

Mizoram: Mizoram, which attained statehood on 20th February 1987, recorded a literacy rate of 91.33% in 2011, ranking third in India. Building on this strong foundation, the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (New India Literacy Programme) was implemented to identify and educate the remaining non-literate individuals. ULLAS is Modi government’s tongue-twister for “Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society.”

A door-to-door survey conducted by Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs) across the state in August–September 2023 identified 3,026 non-literates. Out of these, 1,692 learners were actively engaged in teaching-learning activities. By this account, Mizoram had crossed the full literacy mark, i.e., above 95% literacy rate (to be considered equivalent to full literacy) as defined by Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. As per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report for 2023-24 also, the literacy rate of Mizoram is 98.20%.

In a remarkable display of community spirit, 292 volunteer teachers—including students, educators, resource persons, and CRCCs—came forward to lead this initiative. Guided by a profound sense of duty (Kartavya Bodh) and the Mizo cultural value, these volunteers played a crucial role in achieving full literacy.

The celebratory event, hosted at the Auditorium of Mizoram University in Aizawl, stands as a powerful testament to the collaborative efforts of the people and government of Mizoram in advancing inclusive education and empowering every citizen through literacy.