Executive Summary:
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 192 concerning data on student dropouts in India, answered on July 21, 2025. It provides state/UT-wise dropout rates from 2021-22 to 2023-24, based on data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE). It also outlines steps taken by the Central Government to encourage education and support States/UTs in reducing dropout rates.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Data on Dropout Rates:**
* State/UT-wise dropout rates for primary, upper primary, and secondary levels from 2021-22 to 2023-24 are recorded via the UDISE system and available in Annexure I.
* **Government Initiatives:**
* The Central Government assists States and UTs through the Samagra Shiksha scheme and the PM POSHAN Yojna (Mid Day Meal from Balvatika to class 8).
* Financial assistance is provided to States/UTs to reduce dropouts and increase enrollment through various activities. These include:
* Opening/strengthening new schools up to the senior secondary level.
* Strengthening school infrastructure.
* Setting up and upgrading Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) up to class 12.
* Setting up residential schools/hostels (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas).
* Hostels under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).
* Providing transport allowance, enrolment drives, seasonal hostels/residential camps.
* Provision of vocational education and ICT facilities.
* Free textbooks and uniforms.
* Transport/escort facilities.
* Financial assistance for aids and appliances for children with special needs.
* **Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009:**
* Guarantees free and compulsory elementary education for children aged 6-14 in a neighborhood school.
* Mandates 25% reservation in private unaided schools for children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups at entry level, with free education until completion.
Impact Analysis:
* **State and UT Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the majority of schools and implementation of education policies. They receive assistance from the Central Government.
* *Action Required:* Utilize central government schemes and financial assistance to reduce dropout rates and improve enrollment.
* **Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for developing and maintaining the UDISE system and monitoring dropout rates.
* *Action Required:* Continue to record and analyze data on school education indicators, and administer central government schemes.
* **Schools (Government and Private):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing the RTE Act and providing education to all students. Private schools are required to reserve seats for disadvantaged students.
* *Action Required:* Adhere to RTE Act provisions, implement measures to reduce dropouts, and ensure inclusive education.
* **Parents and Children:**
* *Impact:* Parents are encouraged to educate their children, and children aged 6-14 have a right to free and compulsory education.
* *Action Required:* Parents should ensure their children attend school, and children should exercise their right to education.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Education: The central government ministry responsible for education in India, overseeing school education and literacy.
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education RTE Act, 2009: An Act of the Parliament of India enacted in 2009, which mandates free and compulsory education for all children aged 6-14 years.
Unified District Information System for Education Plus UDISE: A system developed by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, to record data on school education indicators provided by States and Union Territories.
Samagra Shiksha: A Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Indian government to assist States and Union Territories in school education.
Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman PM POSHAN Yojna: A scheme by the Indian government that provides Mid Day Meal from Balvatika to class 8.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas KGBV: Residential schools for girls from disadvantaged communities, now extended up to class 12.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas: Residential schools/hostels.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India, whose dropout rates are mentioned in the annexure
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-192
ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025
Data of Dropout Students
†192. Shri Balwant Baswant Wankhade:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has any data of dropouts students from schools;
(b) if so, the details of primary, secondary and high school dropout during the last three years, State and
District-wise;
(c) the steps taken by the Government to encourage parents to educate their children; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to provide education to all students under 'Right to Education'?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a) and (b): The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education 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+,
State/UT-wise dropout rate from the year 2021-22 to 2023-24 is at Annexure-I.
(c) and (d): Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are under
the domain of respective State and UT Governments. Central Government assist States and UTs through
the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha and Mid Day Meal provided from Balvatika to class
8 under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna. Financial assistance is also
provided to the States and UTs for various activities to reduce dropout and increase enrolment in
Government schools, which include opening/strengthening of new schools up to senior secondary level,
strengthening school infrastructure, setting up and up gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika
Vidyalayas (KGBV) upto class 12, setting up of residential schools/hostels named Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, hostels under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-
JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA), transport allowance,
undertaking enrolment drives, seasonal hostels/residential camps, provision of vocational education and
ICT facilities in schools, providing free text books and free uniform, transport/escort facility, etc,
financial assistance is also provided for aids and appliances for children with special needs.
Under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, every child, of the age
of six to fourteen years, has a right to free and compulsory elementary education in a neighbourhood
school. Section 12(1) (c) of the RTE Act, 2009 mandates reservation in private unaided schools for
children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups to the extent of at least 25% seats at
entry level and provision of free and compulsory elementary education to such children till its
completion.
******Annexure-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED
QUESTION NO. 192 ANSWERED ON 21/07/2025 ASKED BY HONB’LE MP SHRI
BALWANT BASWANT WANKHADE REGARDING ‘DATA OF DROPOUT STUDENTS’
State/UT-wise dropout rate from the year 2021-22 to 2023-24
2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
India/State/UT Upper Upper Upper
Primary Primary Secondary Primary Primary Secondary Primary Primary Secondary
India 1.45 3.02 12.61 7.8 8.1 16.4 1.9 5.2 14.1
Andaman and Nicobar
Islands 0.42 0.95 5 0 1 5.5 0.8 0.4 5.5
Andhra Pradesh 0 1.62 16.29 0 0 14.7 0.2 1.1 12.5
Arunachal Pradesh 9.25 6.69 11.74 15 10.5 16.9 5.4 6.8 19.3
Assam 6.02 8.82 20.25 8.5 10.3 29.5 6.2 8.2 25.1
Bihar 0 4.62 20.46 10.7 15.8 29.5 8.9 25.9 25.6
Chandigarh 0 0 0 0 0.5 1.1 0 0.4 2.9
Chhattisgarh 0.77 4.1 9.73 5.4 6.6 18.2 1.8 5.3 16.3
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
and Daman and Diu 0 0 9.47 0 0.7 18.8 1.6 3.1 18.7
Delhi 0 0 4.84 0 1.9 7.3 0 0.6 10.4
Goa 0 0 8.98 0.3 1.9 8.8 0.8 1.1 8.1
Gujarat 0 4.95 17.85 0 5.8 23.3 0.1 4.2 21
Haryana 0 0.22 5.91 1.4 3.6 15.4 1.2 4.7 13.8
Himachal Pradesh 0 0.58 1.46 1 2 6.7 0 0.6 4.9
Jammu and Kashmir 4.03 2.99 5.96 8.9 4.2 9 1.6 3.2 13.4
Jharkhand 1.77 3.85 9.31 11.5 14.5 25.7 0.9 9 15.2
Karnataka 0 1.08 14.65 0 0 14.9 1.7 2.7 22.1
Kerala 0 0 5.49 3.1 1.9 6.7 0 0 3.4
Ladakh 6.51 1.08 4.9 5.1 2.7 11.6 4.3 5.8 19.8
Lakshadweep 0.45 2.6 0 4.6 7.7 9.8 2.3 3.1 2.6
Madhya Pradesh 3.08 8.82 10.14 6.8 10.1 21.4 1 6.7 17.7
Maharashtra 0 1.53 10.72 5 5.8 16 0 0.6 10.1
Manipur 13.26 5.59 1.27 12.9 8.9 13.5 4.5 3.5 15.3
Meghalaya 9.84 10.64 21.68 13.6 16.4 28.9 7.5 12.4 22
Mizoram 6.35 2.73 11.9 14.8 10.5 24 3.5 5.9 14.8
Nagaland 5.04 4 17.52 9.8 9 21.5 4.5 5.8 11.6
Odisha 0 7.31 27.29 0 3.1 17.7 0 2 12.8
Puducherry 3.67 2.43 6.31 3.2 2.2 7.5 1.2 1.4 7.8
Punjab 1.31 7.97 17.24 3.1 5.3 9.7 0.1 2.6 6
Rajasthan 3.57 4.32 7.65 4.4 5.7 11.9 7.6 6.8 11.1
Sikkim 1.76 0 11.93 4.5 2.2 15.4 2.6 4.9 19
Tamil Nadu 0 0 4.47 2.3 0 10.3 0 0 7.7
Telangana 0 3.14 13.74 2.1 5 11.6 0 0 11.4
Tripura 1.06 4.51 8.34 1.4 5.9 17.9 0.5 4.1 10.4
Uttar Pradesh 2.68 2.9 9.7 18.8 16 14.7 1.7 3.9 8.7
Uttarakhand 0.75 2.7 5.02 7.4 5.8 8.4 0.1 2.3 7
West Bengal 8.62 0 17.98 8.1 3.4 8.5 0 0 17.8
Source: UDISE+