Sikkim was officially declared a fully literate state under the ULLAS Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram of the Ministry of Education with the announcement made by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang during the seventh convocation ceremony of Sikkim University held at Manan Kendra Gangtok in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu and Governor Om Prakash Mathur. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia hailed the achievement in a statement on 28 May 2026. The Himalayan state achieved a literacy rate of 99.82 per cent under the Ministry of Education benchmark which considers a state with above 95 per cent literacy as fully literate. According to the Sikkim Education Department, the state identified over 15000 non literate individuals aged 15 years and above through door to door surveys and local assessments conducted between 2024 and 2026. More than 14000 learners were subsequently certified through Foundational Literacy and Numeracy FLN tests conducted under the ULLAS framework. The programme depended heavily on community participation with over 4000 volunteer teachers including government employees, school teachers, college students, social workers and local residents conducting flexible learning sessions in schools, village halls and even private homes. With this accomplishment, Sikkim joined Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh as the sixth state or Union Territory declared fully literate under the ULLAS programme, well ahead of the national target year of 2027. Launched in 2022, ULLAS aims to cover non literates aged 15 years and above in the country through five components: Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Vocational Skills Development, Basic Education and Continuing Education aligned to the National Education Policy 2020.