India’s ambition to achieve near-universal literacy by 2030 has run into a familiar governance challenge: uneven state participation. The Union government’s flagship adult literacy programme, ULLAS, has made visible progress in several parts of the country. But Bihar — one of India’s most populous states and among those with the highest illiteracy burden — has stayed out, raising uncomfortable questions about cooperative federalism, capacity, and the feasibility of national targets.
What is ULLAS and why it matters
ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) was launched by the Union Education Ministry in 2022 as a nationwide adult education initiative. The programme targets non-literate persons above the age of 15, requiring states to identify them through door-to-door surveys and provide training in basic literacy and numeracy — roughly equivalent to Class 3 competencies.
Learners are assessed through a standardised test, and those who qualify are formally certified as literate. The scheme aligns with the adult education vision of the National Education Policy 2020 and India’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of inclusive and equitable education.
Progress so far: uneven but significant
Five States and Union Territories — Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura and Ladakh — have already declared themselves “fully literate” under ULLAS. At least three more are close to doing so, according to Union government officials. For the purposes of the scheme, achieving 95% literacy is treated as equivalent to full literacy.
This progress underscores that the model is administratively viable — but only when states actively participate.
Why Bihar stands out
Bihar’s absence is especially consequential. The 2023–24 Periodic Labour Force Survey shows that Bihar’s literacy rate among those aged seven and above stands at 74.3%, the second lowest in the country after Andhra Pradesh. Female literacy is particularly low, at just 66.1%, compared to a national average of 74.6%.
This is not a new concern. The 2011 Census had already placed Bihar at the bottom, with a literacy rate of 61.8%, far below the national average of 73%. In contrast, West Bengal — also yet to join ULLAS — currently records a literacy rate above the national average, making Bihar’s reluctance far more consequential for national outcomes.
The Centre–State standoff over implementation
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan formally urged Bihar to participate in October 2024, pointing out that ₹15.79 crore had already been released to the state in 2023–24 under ULLAS. However, Bihar neither submitted its annual plan nor utilised the funds.
Subsequent communications from the education ministry highlighted that the state had failed to transfer the central share — along with its own contribution — to the Single Nodal Agency account within the stipulated 30-day period, as required by financial rules. Continued delays could even attract penal interest, underlining the administrative seriousness of the impasse.
Bihar’s defence: the Akshar Anchal scheme
Bihar officials argue that the state already runs its own literacy programme, Akshar Anchal, which has been operational for over a decade. The scheme focuses on Dalits, Mahadalits, minorities, extremely backward classes and women, combining school enrolment for children aged 6–14 with basic literacy for women aged 15–45.
According to the state government, Akshar Anchal has a higher financial outlay than what Bihar would receive under ULLAS. Periodic state-run literacy tests are conducted every six months, particularly for women beneficiaries.
Is parallel programming enough?
The core policy question is not whether Bihar has a literacy scheme, but whether fragmented approaches can deliver a national outcome. ULLAS provides a common definition of literacy, a uniform certification process, and a framework to assess national progress — potentially reflected in upcoming Census data.
Without Bihar’s participation, India’s ambition of achieving near-100% literacy by 2030 risks becoming statistically and substantively hollow, given the state’s population size and illiteracy load.
What this reveals about federal governance
The standoff reflects a broader pattern in India’s social sector governance: national targets depend heavily on state buy-in, yet states vary widely in administrative capacity, political priorities and trust in centrally designed schemes. Literacy, though constitutionally a shared responsibility, exposes the limits of top-down goal-setting in a federal system.
What to note for Prelims?
- ULLAS scheme: objectives, target group and certification process.
- Literacy rates from PLFS versus Census data.
- Definition of literacy under NEP 2020.
- States declared “fully literate” under ULLAS.
What to note for Mains?
- Challenges in achieving universal literacy in a federal system.
- Centre–State coordination in social sector schemes.
- Gender and regional disparities in literacy.
- Role of adult education in demographic and economic outcomes.
India’s literacy mission is not merely about meeting an international target. It is about ensuring that demographic scale translates into human capability. Whether ULLAS succeeds will depend less on central design and more on persuading high-burden states like Bihar that national frameworks can strengthen, rather than undermine, their own developmental priorities.
