The Ministry of Education concluded the International Literacy Day 2026 celebrations with a ULLAS Mela event in New Delhi. Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Shri T. K. Anil Kumar, inaugurated the mela and dedicated it to participating learners, volunteer teachers, and States/UTs for their contributions to strengthening the literacy movement across India.
The event featured exhibition stalls from 28 participating States/UTs, along with NCERT, NCTE, and NIOS, showcasing their literacy achievements, best practices, learning materials, and innovative methods. The Secretary urged fully literate States/UTs to lead the next phase of ULLAS and emphasized sustaining the literacy journey through continued learning and ensuring education benefits reach the last mile. He called upon youth to participate in the literacy campaign as a civic duty and maximize reach through social media and digital platforms.
Director of NCERT, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, described ULLAS as a window of opportunity for non-literate individuals to enter learning journeys. He stressed the growing importance of financial, legal, digital, and electoral literacy to help citizens understand their rights, responsibilities, and modern needs. Prof. Saklani suggested designing a new credit and incentive architecture allowing students to earn credit points by helping others acquire literacy.
The two-day celebration included various activities such as cultural performances and panel discussions alongside the exhibition mela.