Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh has said the literacy rate in the state rose from 72.6 percent in 2024 to 82 percent in 2026.
The Education Minister described the achievement as a “truly historic” transformation and congratulated officials, teachers and everyone involved in the Akshara Andhra mission, said an official press release.
“Andhra Pradesh’s literacy rate has surged from 72.6 percent in 2024 to 82.1 percent in 2026, Education Minister Nara Lokesh announced on Wednesday,” it said.
Lokesh said that when he took charge of the Education Department in 2024, Andhra Pradesh had one of the lowest literacy rates in the country.
At 72.6 percent, Andhra Pradesh’s literacy rate was below even Bihar, which stood at 74.3 percent, he said, observing that in just two years it moved from the bottom to above national average of 81 percent, marking a major turnaround in the state’s literacy landscape.
The Akshara Andhra programme, launched by the NDA government in 2025 played a key role in the improvement, with around 25 lakh people becoming literate through the initiative, said the press release.
According to the recently released central government’s adult education examination results, the southern state’s literacy rate has increased by up to 10 percentage points, it said.
Meanwhile, Lokesh directed officials to build on this momentum and work on mission mode to achieve 100 percent literacy by September 2027.
Officials have prepared a phased plan to make another 25 lakh people literate by March 2027, followed by the remaining 27 lakh people by September 2027.
The Akshara Andhra programme is being implemented in coordination with 11 government departments.
Lokesh directed officials to involve MLAs and local public representatives in the programme and intensify awareness and mobilisation efforts to reach every person who remains illiterate.
During a review of the School Education Department, he directed officials to track every school-age child and ensure their enrollment.
According to officials, more than 1.64 lakh school-age children are currently outside the formal education system.
Of these, around 33,000 children have been enrolled in schools this year, while the details of the remaining children have been shared with headmasters, said the press release.
Teacher attendance currently stands at 98.97 percent while student attendance is 85.4 percent, prompting Lokesh to direct officials to improve student attendance, among other directives. PTI
