Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Tuesday said that with consistent efforts to strengthen foundational literacy in all primary schools, the government was successful in bringing the dropout rate to Zero % in 2025-26 and further committed to reduce this dropout rate to a minimum within the next 3-4 years.
Dr Saha said this while addressing the International Literacy Day & ULLAS Mela, 2026 at New Delhi on Tuesday.
Dr Saha said that in order to tackle the problem of low enrolment in government schools in remote and rural areas, we are planning to establish state-of-the-art Residential Schools on the pattern of Eklavya Model Schools by merging/clubbing schools with very low enrolment.
“Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes that education and literacy are the foundations of a developed and strong India. The Prime Minister desires every child to gain knowledge, skills, values and opportunities to build a bright future so as to build Viksit Bharat by 2047. Literacy is not merely the ability to read and write; it is a powerful means of empowerment, dignity, confidence and social transformation. Tripura has been implementing ULLAS, i.e. Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, since May 2022,” he said.
He said that during 2026, several innovative best practices have been undertaken under ULLAS. The State has undertaken innovative best practices for neo-learners, including Financial Literacy, where learners are taught to use cheque books, deposit forms and banking services. Also, the State is taking up innovative initiatives such as Experiential Market Learning, where everyday buying, selling and price comparison are used to strengthen literacy and numeracy. Also, the State Government is ensuring rapid awareness of Health and Hygiene with practical demonstrations of proper hand washing, sanitation and personal cleanliness among the masses and neo-learners.
He said that as per the UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus), the dropout rate at the primary level (Grade I-V) during the year 2013-14 was 2.21 in the State.
“With our consistent efforts to strengthen foundational literacy in all our primary schools, our Government was successful in bringing the dropout rate to Zero % in 2025-26. Similarly, in Secondary Schooling (Classes 9th and 10th), the dropout rate in 2013-14 was 25.51 in Tripura. Our Government was also successful in reducing this dropout rate significantly to 10.40% in the year 2025-26. We are further committed to reducing this dropout rate to a minimum within the next 3-4 years. I would again like to mention that our Government has been trying our level best to improve the transition rate in our schooling ecosystem,” he said.
Dr Saha further informed that recently, as per the mandate of the National Education Policy 2020, the State Government has given approval for the establishment of the Board of Open Schooling and Examination in Tripura.
“In order to better focus on the quality of education in remote and rural areas, DMs & Collectors of the Districts have been given responsibility for their respective districts. Also, as per the mandate of the National Education Policy, we will be opening Balvatika for one year of pre-school education for children from the age of 5 to 6 years in all 2,048 primary schools of our State within the next two years. The objective is to ensure that when the child goes to Class 1, he/she must be proficient in the basic learning competencies. We are working simultaneously on the development of school infrastructure, digital education, skill development, girls' education, inclusive education and improvement of the quality of education,” he added.
Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Education; Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Minister of State for Education; Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, Minister of Education, Government of Uttarakhand; Dr. Vanlalthana, Minister of Education, Government of Mizoram; Rohit Thakur, Minister of Education, Government of Himachal Pradesh; Raju Basnet, Minister of School, Higher and Technical Education, Government of Sikkim; T. K. Anilkumar, Secretary, School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India; Archana Avasti, Additional Secretary, School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India; and various distinguished dignitaries and officers from the Government of India, various States/UTs, were present at the event.