Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Education addresses Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 6 regarding a reported drop in enrolment in Government schools. The response provides state/UT-wise enrolment data from 2019-20 to 2023-24, explains the reasons, and outlines steps taken to encourage enrolment, including financial assistance via centrally sponsored schemes. The data collection method was revitalized in 2022-23 making year-on-year comparisons statistically different.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Data Collection and Enrolment:**
* The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE) is used to record school education data.
* State/UT-wise enrolment data in Government schools from 2019-20 to 2023-24 is detailed in Annexure I.
* Enrolment figures for India are: 130,931,634 (2019-20), 134,904,560 (2020-21), 143,240,480 (2021-22), 136,204,917 (2022-23), and 127,490,199 (2023-24).
* From 2022-23 onwards, UDISE was revitalized to capture individual student-wise data, creating a student registry based on National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) recommendations.
* Due to the change in collection method, data comparison from 2022-23 onwards with previous years is statistically different.
* **Government Initiatives and Financial Assistance:**
* The Central Government assists States and UTs through centrally sponsored schemes such as Samagra Shiksha and PM POSHAN Yojna.
* Financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for various activities to reduce dropout and increase enrolment.
* Activities include opening/strengthening schools, improving infrastructure, setting up Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, hostels under PM JANMAN and DAJGUA, providing transport allowance, enrolment drives, seasonal hostels, vocational education, ICT facilities, free textbooks, uniforms, transport/escort facilities, and aids/appliances for children with special needs.
* Central release under Samagra Shiksha for the year 2024-25 is Rs. 3445820.90 lakhs.
Impact Analysis:
* **State and UT Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the majority of schools, as education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution. They receive central assistance for school education and enrolment-related activities.
* *Action Required:* Implement centrally sponsored schemes effectively, utilize financial assistance to improve school infrastructure and enrolment, and ensure accurate data reporting through UDISE.
* **Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education:**
* *Impact:* Oversees the UDISE system and provides financial assistance to States and UTs.
* *Action Required:* Monitor enrolment trends, provide support and guidance to States/UTs, and ensure effective implementation of centrally sponsored schemes.
* **Schools (Government):**
* *Impact:* Implementing various initiatives and utilizing resources to improve infrastructure and increase enrollment.
* *Action Required:* Strengthen school infrastructure, implement government schemes effectively, and participate in enrolment drives.
* **Students and Parents:**
* *Impact:* Beneficiaries of improved school infrastructure, resources, and financial assistance, leading to better access to education.
* *Action Required:* Take advantage of available resources and facilities, participate in enrolment drives, and prioritize education.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Education: The Union Government Ministry responsible for education.
Lok Sabha: The Lower House of the Parliament of India, where the starred question was raised.
Samagra Shiksha: A centrally sponsored scheme to support states and UTs in school education.
Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna: A scheme providing Mid-Day Meals from Balvatika to class 8.
National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020): A comprehensive framework for education in India.
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.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV): Residential schools for girls from disadvantaged communities, now up to class 12.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas: Residential schools/hostels established to improve education.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO - 6
ANSWERED ON 21/07/2025
Drop in Enrolment in Government Schools
*6. Prof. Sougata Ray:
Shri Kishori Lal:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has noticed that there is a massive drop in enrolment in Government
schools in the country;
(b) if so, the details of enrolment in Government schools during the last three years, State/UT-wise;
(c) whether the Government has ascertained the reasons behind the massive drop in Government
schools, if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
(d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to encourage enrolment in Government schools?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.
******STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (D) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 6 ANSWERED ON 21/07/2025 ASKED BY HONB’LE MP’S
PROF. SOUGATA RAY AND SHRI KISHORI LAL REGARDING ‘DROP IN ENROLMENT
IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS’
(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 enrolment in Government schools from the year 2019-20 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 assists 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. Financial
assistances provided to States/UTs for the year 2024-25 central release under Samagra Shiksha is Rs.
3445820.90 lakhs.
Also, based on the recommendations of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), w.e.f 2022-23
UDISE+ has been revitalized, to capture individual student wise data and created student’s registry. There
has been a complete change in the manner of collection of data from 2022-23 onwards from gross
enrolment data to individual student data. It makes comparison of data from previous years statistically
different/inchoate.
******Annexure-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) AND (B) OF LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO. 6 ANSWERED ON 21/07/2025 ASKED BY HONB’LE MP’S PROF. SOUGATA
RAY AND SHRI KISHORI LAL REGARDING ‘DROP IN ENROLMENT IN GOVERNMENT
SCHOOLS’
State/UT-wise enrolment in Government schools from the year 2019-20 to 2023-24
Enrolment
State/UT
2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
India 130931634 134904560 143240480 136204917 127490199
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 51905 49943 51168 52059 48792
Andhra Pradesh 4042535 4627208 4696207 4256013 4050116
Arunachal Pradesh 213421 234914 233908 205522 187634
Assam 5031895 5097436 5277671 5151710 5017578
Bihar 19579263 20874968 21989445 20359013 17466574
Chandigarh 152561 153489 165156 164241 155752
Chhattisgarh 4000147 4042244 4262053 4082523 3947170
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 83154 84162 91026 93770 93333
Delhi 2409441 2542240 2796676 2776216 2571404
Goa 43547 42857 42932 42653 41722
Gujarat 5295130 5334822 5570875 5511272 5459151
Haryana 2131579 2232333 2602484 2464486 2230123
Himachal Pradesh 851783 847735 900749 872058 831845
Jammu & Kashmir 1271045 1324301 1473368 1454668 1421643
Jharkhand 4810045 4873009 5242868 4943098 4843847
Karnataka 4906231 5031606 5445989 5327221 4985661
Kerala 1725686 1757209 1862020 1854934 1801570
Ladakh 27072 28744 29312 28667 26275
Lakshadweep 12606 13114 13586 12587 12591
Madhya Pradesh 9119353 8904779 9429734 9095629 8671760
Maharashtra 5646319 5594726 5853094 5481157 5325571
Manipur 199958 201758 216636 212608 203508
Meghalaya 478070 482425 477232 438863 420993
Mizoram 127509 132230 143345 135515 129068
Nagaland 174882 171747 170219 156175 141852
Odisha 5514876 5213350 5255198 5267551 5209594
Puducherry 83809 87867 97368 91295 83737
Punjab 2686786 2876825 3090436 2902536 2823581
Rajasthan 8521720 8955632 9912280 9250493 8381575
Sikkim 89876 85980 84411 79597 71839
Tamil Nadu 4593422 4775207 5314845 5042026 4840034
Telangana 2837635 2896974 3303699 3009212 2779713
Tripura 562047 536724 542892 524284 508036
Uttar Pradesh 16857549 17576345 19056651 18018332 15868581
Uttarakhand 941454 916631 980808 942657 870147
West Bengal 15857323 16303026 16564139 15904276 15967829
Source: UDISE+