RAS question
Which of the following became the 5th fully literate State/UT in India in September 2025?
Correct answer: (B) Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh became India's 5th fully literate State/UT in September 2025, after Tripura, Mizoram, Goa and Ladakh.
Explanation
The answer is Himachal Pradesh. The Ministry of Education's International Literacy Day 2025 release states that Himachal Pradesh became the 5th fully literate State/UT after Tripura, Mizoram, Goa and Ladakh. The same release records the event as part of the International Literacy Day celebration held on 8 September 2025 and links it to the ULLAS literacy effort. It also notes that Himachal Pradesh joined Mizoram, Goa, Tripura and Ladakh in declaring itself fully literate, with ministers highlighting the role of communities, volunteers and government support in reaching difficult-terrain areas. ULLAS Literacy Week 2025 ran from 1 to 8 September 2025, alongside a nationwide drive to register non-literates, volunteers and neo-learners.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Uttarakhand is not named in the PIB release as part of the fully literate sequence; the release identifies Himachal Pradesh after Tripura, Mizoram, Goa and Ladakh.
- (C) Sikkim is not listed among the States/UTs recognised in this milestone, while Himachal Pradesh is explicitly named in the release.
- (D) Manipur is not the State identified by the Ministry of Education release; Himachal Pradesh is the one recorded as joining the fully literate group.
Concept
This tests current affairs within education governance, especially literacy missions and Centre-State social-sector outcomes. Such questions recur in RAS because literacy, inclusion and implementation of national programmes are regular governance themes.