Kerala becomes first Indian state to achieve complete digital literacy: CM Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has become the first state in India to achieve complete digital literacy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Thursday at a function held at Central Stadium. The CM said the achievement was especially significant given that only 38% of Indian households currently have digital literacy. Over 2.5 lakh volunteers contributed to the campaign, which was implemented in three phases.

“Kerala was the first to achieve total literacy in April 1991, and now, we are the first to become fully digitally literate too,” the CM said, adding that both milestones were achieved while the LDF was in power.

Initially, the programme targeted those aged between 14 and 65, but it was later expanded to include people of all ages. One of the campaign’s highlights was 104-year-old Abdullah Moulavi from Ernakulam, the oldest person to be certified digitally literate. The CM spoke to him via video call during the event.

Pullampara panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram was the first local body to achieve full digital literacy and served as a model for the rest of the state. “Kerala has made history, not just in India, but globally,” the CM said in a post on X, calling it a proud milestone in the state’s push for inclusive progress and empowerment.

The CM noted that digital access must go hand-in-hand with digital literacy and highlighted the K-Fone project, which provides affordable high-speed internet across the state. Kerala was the first to declare internet access a legal right.

The programme included remote tribal hamlets like Edamalakudi. A total of 83 lakh people were surveyed, out of which 29 lakh were identified as digitally illiterate. Later, over 1.3 lakh people aged between 75 and 90 were added after lifting age restrictions. The CM also announced the project’s second phase, which will enable citizens to access all their documents through DigiLocker. “Kerala will be the first state to launch such an initiative,” he said. Vijayan also praised the thousands of young volunteers who led the campaign at the grassroots level, calling it a testament to the social commitment of Kerala’s youth.

Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh said the project was launched in 2022 and completed on time, with 99.99% of learners passing the final evaluation. Around 9,000 government services are now also available online through smart apps and K-SMART platforms.