Sikkim was declared a fully literate state on Wednesday.
Chief minister P.S. Tamang (Golay) announced this at the seventh convocation of Sikkim University held at Manan Kendra, Gangtok, in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu.
“Sikkim, under the ULLAS programme, has become a fully literate state. It is a matter of pride for us,” said Golay.
Sources said that with the implementation of ULLAS, the New India Literacy Programme, Sikkim's literacy rate reached 99.82 per cent, above the 95 per cent benchmark stated by the Union education ministry to declare a state as "fully literate".
President Murmu, on the second of her three-day visit to Sikkim, said at the convocation: "It is a matter of immense pride for Sikkim that it became India's first fully organic state in 2016 and now it is a fully literate state."
“Sikkim University bears a special responsibility of preserving the region's language, culture, and environment, apart from being a centre for education and research,” she added, pointing out that nearly 60 per cent of the graduating students and around 70 per cent of medallists were women.
'Pink' bus service
Earlier on Wednesday, President Murmu flagged off the “Pink City Runner” bus service at Ridge Park in Gangtok. Introduced by the state government as a dedicated transport service for women, the “Pink City Runner,” also known as the “Aama-Didi-Bahini Bus Sewa”, aims to make daily travel within Gangtok safer and more affordable for women. The service will operate along the Ranipool-Tashiling Secretariat route. Passengers will pay only half of the regular fare. The rest of the cost will be borne by the state.
