Why Bihar Is Missing from the NDA’s ‘ULLAS’ Literacy Drive

Patna: While leaders of the BJP and JDU in Bihar often highlight the “double-engine” government for the state’s development, Bihar has surprisingly not joined the central government’s flagship literacy program, ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society). This has raised questions about why the NDA ally is not participating in an initiative aimed at making Bihar fully literate.

ULLAS Scheme Aims for 100% Literacy by 2030
The ambitious ULLAS scheme, launched in 2022, seeks to achieve 100% literacy across India by 2030. It targets individuals aged 15 and above who are illiterate, offering basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills equivalent to a third-grade level, through online or offline modes. Participants are then evaluated through examinations, and successful candidates are declared literate.

Bihar’s Non-Participation a Concern
So far, five states and union territories—Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, and Ladakh—have declared themselves fully literate under the scheme. Bihar and West Bengal have yet to participate, raising concerns given Bihar’s low literacy rate. According to the 2023–24 Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), only 74.3% of individuals aged seven and above in Bihar are literate—the second lowest in the country after Andhra Pradesh (72.6%).

This issue is not new. In the 2011 Census, Bihar had a literacy rate of just 61.8%, the lowest in India, while the national average was 73%. Senior officials from the Ministry of Education have repeatedly urged Bihar to join ULLAS, highlighting that the state has the highest number of illiterate citizens.

Letters from the Centre to Bihar
In October last year, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, emphasizing that funds allocated under ULLAS for FY 2023–24—₹15.79 crore—had neither been utilized nor implemented. He urged immediate action to leverage the scheme’s benefits and help Bihar contribute to the national goal of full literacy by 2030.

Earlier, in July 2024, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar had also written to the Bihar Chief Secretary requesting the use of ₹35.09 crore approved for 18.80 lakh learners in 2023–24, including both central and state shares. However, Bihar has yet to transfer the state’s matching share to the Single Nodal Agency (SNA) account, as required.

Bihar Cites Its Own Literacy Program
When asked about non-participation, senior Bihar education officials pointed to the state-run ‘Akshar Aanchal’ program, which has been operational for nearly 15 years. This initiative focuses on promoting literacy among Dalits, Mahadalits, minorities, backward communities, and women, covering school education for children aged 6–14 and basic literacy for women aged 15–45. Officials note that the state’s expenditure on Akshar Aanchal exceeds the amount allocated under ULLAS, and periodic examinations are conducted for targeted learners every six months.

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