Govt had earlier set Dec 19, 2024 as deadline
Panaji: Goa will be declared a 100% literate state by May 30, the Statehood Day, said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday.
Speaking at Ullas Mela 2025 New India Literacy Programme event in Porvorim, Sawant said the state’s current literacy rate stands at 94%. The remaining 6% of the population will receive the necessary literacy lessons, making Goa the first state in the country to achieve 100% literacy, said the Chief Minister.
The government had earlier set December 19, 2024, as the deadline for achieving the goal.
Recognising six students and awarding them certificates for completing their literacy training, Sawant said, “This programme is being closely monitored by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), with their consultants verifying the education system to declare individuals as literate.”
The literacy programme is being carried out at both, the municipality and panchayat levels in the state, wherein the local bodies identify illiterate individuals and organise classes to give them lessons on basic literacy.
The initiative is a part of the New India Literacy Programme launched by the Government of India to provide basic literacy to adults and out-of-school youth.
Sawant said the programme is open to all, including people from other states who are residing in Goa. The literacy exams are conducted by SCERT to ensure that the participants have acquired the skills in reading, writing and basic numeracy.
“We offer training classes in various languages, including Konkani, Marathi, English and Hindi to make the programme accessible to everyone,” the Chief Minister said. Goa is set to become a model for the rest of the country, leading the way towards universal literacy, he said.
