Executive Summary:
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3606 concerning the closure of government schools in India over the last five years. It provides data on school closures from 2019-20 to 2023-24, sourced from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE) and explains the governmental role in school administration, highlighting efforts to ensure universal access to education. The response references the Samagra Shiksha scheme and the National Education Policy 2020, outlining provisions for school strengthening and student support.
Key Points / Main Content:
School Closure Data:
* State/UT-wise data on the number of government schools for the last 5 years (2019-20 to 2023-24) is provided in an annexure, sourced from UDISE.
Government Role and Regulations:
* Education is on the Concurrent List of the Constitution, making the opening, merging, and closing of schools the responsibility of respective State Governments and UT Administrations, as per the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
* Since 2018-19, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) has implemented the Samagra Shiksha scheme, integrating Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE).
* The Samagra Shiksha scheme provides financial aid to States/UTs for establishing and improving schools up to the senior secondary level, including constructing buildings and additional classrooms.
Universal Access and Support:
* There has been improvement in Gross Access Ratio (GAR) at all levels of school education from 2018-19 to 2024-25.
* The National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes that school consolidation should be done judiciously, ensuring no negative impact on access to education.
* Section 6 of the RTE Act mandates the establishment of schools within defined area or neighbourhood limits to ensure universal access to elementary education.
* Transportation facilities are provided for habitations where opening a school is not feasible, at an average cost of ₹6000 per child per annum up to Class X.
* Financial assistance is provided for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalayas in remote, sparsely populated, and difficult-to-reach areas.
* Financial assistance is also provided under PM-JANMAN and DAJGUA components of Samagra Shiksha for unserved Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and ST populations.
Impact Analysis:
State Governments and UT Administrations:
* Impact: Responsible for decisions regarding the opening, merging, and closing of schools within their jurisdiction. Receive financial assistance for school development and student support.
* Action Required: Implement strategies for establishing schools, providing transportation, and utilizing financial assistance to improve access and learning outcomes.
Students:
* Impact: Directly affected by school closures, mergers, and the availability of transportation and residential facilities.
* Action Required: Continue education through available facilities, including transportation to nearby schools or enrollment in residential schools.
Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL):
* Impact: Oversees the implementation of the Samagra Shiksha scheme and monitors school education data through UDISE.
* Action Required: Continue providing financial assistance and guidance to States/UTs, monitor the impact of school closures, and ensure universal access to education.
Key Entities Referenced
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan SSA: A centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India aimed at universalizing elementary education.
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education RTE Act, 2009: An Act of the Parliament of India which mandates free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14 years.
Samagra Shiksha: An integrated centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India that subsumes Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education.
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan RMSA: A centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India for the development of secondary education.
National Education Policy 2020: A comprehensive framework for education in India, aiming to transform the education system by 2040.
Unified District Information System for Education Plus UDISE: A system developed by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) to record data on school education indicators from States and Union Territories in India.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalayas: Residential schools in remote, sparsely populated and difficult to reach areas.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India where government schools were closed.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 3606
ANSWERED ON- 11.08.2025
CLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
3606. Shri K Radhakrishnan:
Shri Amra Ram:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the number of Government schools that have been closed across the country
during the last five years, year-wise and State/UT-wise;
(b) the reasons for such closure, including lack of enrollment, infrastructure issues or
administrative reasons;
(c) whether the decision for closing the school is contrary to the aim of Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan to educate all;
(d) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of the impact of closure
of schools on access to education, particularly in rural, tribal and backward areas;
(e) whether any steps has been taken to ensure that the affected students continue
their education without disruption; and
(f) the details of any policy measures or guidelines issued to prevent further closures
and to strengthen school education in underserved areas?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a): The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) has developed the
Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) system to record
data on indicators of school education provided by all the States and Union
Territories. As per UDISE+, the State/UT-wise number of Government schools of last
5 years are at Annexure.
(b) to (f): Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution and the opening,
merger/closing of schools are within the purview of respective State Government and
UT Administration-which are the appropriate Government under the Right of Children
to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.Since 2018-19, this Department is implementing an Integrated Centrally
sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha - which subsumes the three erstwhile
Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya
Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). Under the
Scheme, financial assistance is provided to the States and UTs for
opening/strengthening of new schools upto senior secondary level, construction of
school buildings & additional classrooms.
Substantial advancements have been made in ensuring universal access
across all levels of school education. This is evidenced by the improvement in
Gross Access Ratio (GAR) from 2018-19 to 2024-25 as under:
(GAR)
(GAR) (GAR) (GAR) Higher
Uppar
Primary Secondary Secondary
India Primary
2018-19 97.15 96.49 88.24 65.05
2024-25 97.83 96.57 95.35 94.97
Para 7.4 of the National Education Policy 2020 underscores that although
consolidation of schools is an option that is often discussed, it must be carried out
very judiciously, and only when it is ensured that there is no impact on access.
Similarly, to ensure universal access to elementary schools, Section 6 of the RTE
Act mandates the establishment of schools by the appropriate government within
defined area or neighbourhood limits. Therefore, to achieve better learning
outcomes and appropriate Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTR) across upper primary and
secondary levels, some states have adopted appropriate strategies to establish the
larger schools as per aspirations of the public.
For the habitations that remain uncovered (mostly small or sparsely populated
in difficult areas) where opening of school is not feasible, transport facility is provided
up to an average cost @ ₹ 6000/ per child per annum up to Class X.
Further, financial assistance is provided to the State/UT Government for
opening and running of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalayas in
remote, sparsely populated and difficult to reach areas, hilly terrains, areas affected
by LWE, large uninhabited areas with natural barriers. Financial assistance is also
provided under PM-JANMAN component of Samagra Shiksha to the States and UTs
for the unserved identified Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and under Dharti
Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) component of Samagra Shiksha,
for the unserved ST population.
****ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3606 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025 ASKED BY
HONB’LE MP SHRI K RADHAKRISHNAN AND SHRI AMRA RAM REGARDING
‘CLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS’
The State/UT-wise number of Government schools of the last 5 years is as below:
State/UT 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 342 342 342 342 340
Andhra Pradesh 45115 45145 45137 45167 45000
Arunachal Pradesh 3056 3061 2985 2922 2847
Assam 47157 46749 45490 44925 45008
Bihar 72610 75555 75558 75550 78120
Chandigarh 121 121 123 119 119
Chhattisgarh 48547 48619 48743 48728 48803
Dadra & Nagar Haveli 300
407 388 387 360
Daman & Diu 109
Delhi 2767 2751 2762 2673 2693
Goa 827 821 814 806 789
Gujarat 35040 34967 34699 34651 34597
Haryana 14484 14563 14562 14443 14374
Himachal Pradesh 15398 15391 15380 15447 15217
Jammu & Kashmir 23165 23167 23173 18785 18785
Jharkhand 35931 35888 35840 35764 35795
Karnataka 49834 49791 49679 49520 49306
Kerala 5014 5020 5010 4811 4809
Ladakh 913 915 838 841 841
Lakshadweep 45 45 38 37 37
Madhya Pradesh 99411 99152 92695 92741 92439
Maharashtra 65886 65734 65639 65431 65157
Manipur 2876 2878 2889 2922 2934
Meghalaya 7799 7795 7783 7778 7779
Mizoram 2552 2558 2563 2567 2587
Nagaland 2011 1975 1960 1954 1952
Odisha 53260 50256 49072 48767 48671
Puducherry 422 422 422 422 420
Punjab 19377 19330 19259 19245 19242
Rajasthan 67660 68813 68948 69538 70233
Sikkim 851 851 864 864 864
Tamil Nadu 37579 37589 37636 37658 37672
Telangana 30001 30015 30023 29997 30022
Tripura 4275 4265 4262 4245 4238
Uttar Pradesh 137638 137068 137024 137003 137102
Uttarakhand 16741 16651 16484 16381 16201
West Bengal 83456 83379 83302 82579 82307
Source: UDISE, UDISE+