India’s Journey Towards Universal Literacy:
India’s progress in literacy has come into focus as the country continues efforts to achieve universal literacy and strengthen foundational education.Building on this progress, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 seeks to address remaining gaps through greater emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy, equitable access to education, and development of a skilled and future-ready workforce.The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, defines literacy as the ability to read, write and compute with comprehension, along with skills such as digital and financial literacy.A State or Union Territory achieving 95% literacy is considered equivalent to full literacy.UNESCO views literacy as the ability to read, write, use numbers and digital tools to solve problems and participate effectively in work, learning and life.
