.jpg)
International Literacy Day 2026: Jayant Chaudhary on the Importance of Creativity and Risk-taking For Students
New Delhi: Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Education, highlighted the importance of creativity and taking calculated risks as the two most important qualities for India's students and youth.
As India participates in International Literacy Day, it falls on the 8th of September every year. UNESCO, through the celebration of the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day, is focusing on the aspect of ‘Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity’ for 2026.
The other aspect of the celebration is broadening the definition of literacy. Today, there is a changing education and employment landscape. When referring to being literate, it goes beyond being able to read and write to having the confidence, possessing the skills, and the ability to participate fully to the best of one's abilities.
International Literacy Day 2026: A Focus on a Widened Definition of Literacy
International Literacy Day has been observed globally since 1967 after it was ratified by UNESCO in 1966. This day praises literacy as a goal in and of itself as well as a goal for lifelong learning and social participation, as well as for sustainable development. For 2026, UNESCO has focused on the theme of “Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity”.
The theme is particularly young-person-focused. For young people, education and literacy is inextricably connected and co-evolves with the digital revolution, shifting employment, sustainability, and social inclusion. UNESCO estimates that at least 739 million youth and adults worldwide lacked basic literacy skills in 2024, while four in 10 children were not reaching minimum proficiency in reading.
Jayant Chaudhary's Message: Students Need More to Be Literate Than Academic Knowledge
Considering the other aspects of literacy, Jayant Chaudhary suggests the ability to be both creative and take calculated risks. The message implies that educational structures must provide more than just knowledge to learners. They must develop learners' ability to think differently and earn their confidence in manoeuvring the unknown. As rapidly changing technologies reshape the economies young people enter, the ability to be creative and take calculated risks can be a differentiating factor.
Creativity enables an individual to think of various ways to address an issue, and calculated risk-taking can lead to an individual initiating a venture. To develop these skills, learning environments must ensure they do not create a culture of fear of failure.
Why Creativity is Crucial in Learning
Creativity is not purely the realm of fine arts and writing. A creative learner can recognise gaps and breaks in the way things are done, draw upon different items of knowledge, and can invent and generate alternative ideas. This is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, which promotes experiential learning beyond memorisation. The emphasis is on a shift in education from recall to analysis and from memorisation to invention.
Risk-Taking Does Not Mean Recklessness
There should be caution when talking about developing the capacity for risk-taking. When we talk about risk-taking in the context of education, it concerns the confidence to pursue the unfamiliar, to discuss and participate, to solve the difficult, to innovate, to create, or to take advantage of opportunities.
This is not about taking reckless decisions. Instead, students should be able to assess possible options, contemplate potential consequences, be able to learn from failure, and be prepared to try again. This will help students see failure as a learning process, which will be integral for students entering the workforce where their careers will not follow a defined path.
Literacy, Inclusion and Lifelong Learning
International Literacy Day focuses on inclusion as part of its message. According to UNESCO, literacy is the ability to grasp a range of knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote a culture of peace and sustainable development, and is closely related to equality, non-discrimination, justice and active citizenship.
As adopted in several literacy programs, this means reaching students not in school because of distance, marginalisation, prejudice, poverty, physical disability, or any other constraints. For students, this means the foundation of basic education. For adults, this means the opportunity of having a job and the right to participate in our democracy. To a large extent, India has adopted this inclusive approach. The ULLAS program, from the Ministry of Education, focuses on several of the concepts of inclusive education and literacy.
India's Literacy Journey Continues Beyond Basic Reading and Writing
To promote literacy and lifelong learning of adults, the Indian government has launched ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram. The Ministry of Education has recognized the link between literacy and the need for an individual to be empowered, access the digital and financial worlds, and participate in the governance of the country. During the 2025 International Literacy Day, Jayant Chaudhary stressed that along with skills, the components of financial literacy and citizenry also form the core of true literacy.
With this perspective, the 2026 observance of International Literacy Day comes at a time when the nature of literacy is being redefined beyond its traditional form as a scholarly achievement.
Literacy Day 2026: A Major Milestone in Education
International Literacy Day 2026 is huge because it’s the anniversary of the first International Literacy Day in 1967. UNESCO’s celebrations will take place on 8-9 September 2026, in Chiapas, Mexico, under the auspices of the Government of Mexico. The celebrations will include the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes, which recognise quality literacy projects worldwide.
The global celebration aims to analyse the challenges of literacy that have persisted and those that are new, and to set the future course for literacy initiatives.
Final Thoughts
International Literacy Day 2026 goes beyond textbooks and exam scores. According to Jayant Chaudhary, education should focus on the creativity and risk-taking ability of learners. This can create a system that challenges learners to go beyond acquiring knowledge. This type of education system promotes a culture of challenging the status quo, exploring, innovating, and learning through failure.
This idea of literacy encompasses the views of other regions of the world. In today's world, being educated means having the ability to learn more and adapt to change and the confidence to interact with society. For every learner, regardless of social or economic status, literacy should be a starting point, not the end.'
Click Here for More Latest News