Key highlights
- Himachal Pradesh government has focused on education, with a significant number of schools and colleges in the public sector. There are 10,370 Primary Schools, 1,850 Middle Schools, 960 High Schools, and 1,984 Senior Secondary Schools catering to students across the State. Additionally, the government run 148 Degree Colleges to further support higher education.
- As per the Census results, the literacy rate in Himachal Pradesh was 82.80 per cent in 2011, which was 8.8 per cent higher than the national average of 74.0 per cent. The male literacy rate was 89.53 per cent, while the female literacy rate was 75.93 per cent. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 conducted in 2019-21, the latest figures show that the literacy rate in Himachal Pradesh has increased to 93.3 per cent. The male and female literacy rates are now 94.9 per cent and 91.7 per cent, respectively, with a 3.2 per cent gender disparity.
- Apna Vidyalaya the Himachal School Adoption Programme has been notified by the Government of Himachal Pradesh on 3rd January, 2024 with a prime objective to create a synergistic partnership between public representatives, administrative leaders and skilled professionals for improvement in government schools.
- Under Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)/Below Poverty Line (BPL) Scholarship Scheme students from 1st to 5th standard are given ₹500 per annum and students from 6th to 8th standard are given ₹700 per annum. 68,955 students have benefitted under this scheme.
- Under Dr. Ambedkar Medhavi Chattarvriti Yojana, the top 1,250 students of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 1,000 meritorious students of Other Backward Classes (OBC) from Matriculation Examination of Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBoSE) are given ₹18,000 per year for SC and OBC students. 1,716 SC students and 1,424 OBC students have been benefitted under this scheme. Under Indira Gandhi Utkrisht Chhatervritti Yojana, the Top 10 students from the merit list of 10+2 (affiliated from HPBoSE) and for post 10+2 courses are given ₹18,000 per annum. 31 students have been benefitted under this scheme.
- Under Swami Vivekanand Utkrisht Chhatervritti Yojana, the top 2,000 meritorious students of the General category from the Matriculation Examination of Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education, Dharamshala were awarded scholarship @ ₹18,000 per year. 3,124 students have been benefitted from this scheme.