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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 499
ANSWERED ON- 04/02/2026
Dropout rate in rural Odisha
499 Shri Manas Ranjan Mangaraj:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the dropout rate in rural Odisha at primary, upper primary and secondary levels during the last
three years;
(b) the district-wise details of dropout rate in rural and tribal districts of Odisha; and
(c) the steps taken to reduce dropout and improve retention, especially among girls and tribal students?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (c): Education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of the schools come
under the purview of the respective State and UT Government. As informed by State Govt. of Odisha,
the district wise (including tribal districts) dropout rate in Odisha at Primary, Upper Primary and
Secondary levels during the last three years for 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 is at Annexure.
Odisha State has undertaken a multi-pronged and sustained approach to reduce school dropouts and
improve retention, among girls, tribal children, migrant children and Children with Special Needs
(CwSN). A comprehensive door-to-door Odisha Shiksha Survekhyan (Child Tracking Survey) was
conducted from 30 April to 4 May 2025, with technical support from IIT Madras. The survey identified
2.34 lakh Out-of-School Children (OoSC) in the 7–18 age group. The “AASA School Jiba” campaign
was launched for their mainstreaming through special PTMs, padayatras and Shiksha Sabhas. For
flexible learning pathways, OoSC and dropouts are being enrolled under State Institute of Open
Schooling (SIOS) / NIOS with year-round admission and mandatory contact programmes.
To address vulnerability due to distance and migration, transport and escort facilities are provided to
children from remote and forested areas. Seasonal hostels have been operationalised in migration-prone
districts for retention and mainstreaming during 2024-25.
Special emphasis has been laid on girls’ education through 182 KGBVs (Type-III) and 151 KGBVs
(Type-IV), offering free boarding, academic support, vocational training, self-defence training and
menstrual hygiene facilities. Gender equity initiatives like ‘Barnali’ curriculum, bicycles for secondary
students, scholarships, free uniforms, textbooks and hot cooked meals support retention.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas are functioning across 12 districts. Additional
residential hostels are being expanded under PM JANMAN and DA-JGUA schemes.
These interventions have improved enrolment, attendance and retention, moving the State steadily
towards universalisation of school education.
*****Annexure
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 499 ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026
ASKED BY SHRI MANAS RANJAN MANGARAJ REGARDING “DROPOUT RATE IN RURAL ODISHA”.
2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Sl. DISTRICT UPPER UPPER UPPER
PRIMARY SECONDARY PRIMARY SECONDARY PRIMARY SECONDARY
PRIMARY PRIMARY PRIMARY
1 Angul 0.90 2.36 20.27 0.00 1.36 16.89 1.37 2.79 20.01
2 Balasore 0.00 3.60 14.20 0.33 2.93 12.43 0.59 2.59 13.64
3 Bargarh 0.00 0.79 19.65 0.00 0.69 14.80 0.81 1.26 14.17
4 Bhadrak 0.00 1.54 21.14 0.32 1.56 18.79 0.96 1.71 21.85
5 Bolangir 0.00 2.60 24.35 0.34 2.00 17.17 0.86 2.77 17.40
6 Boudh 0.76 2.30 26.18 0.62 0.53 18.53 1.89 2.36 23.82
7 Cuttack 0.00 2.03 6.42 0.00 0.23 2.64 0.77 1.55 7.57
8 Deogarh 1.11 3.82 22.45 1.35 2.34 13.56 0.49 1.50 16.54
9 Dhenkanal 0.00 0.47 16.36 0.30 1.85 15.61 0.57 2.38 17.47
10 Gajapati 3.88 5.22 21.16 2.59 4.56 16.17 2.83 4.59 21.00
11 Ganjam 0.00 2.70 17.24 0.09 1.90 11.88 0.74 1.59 13.10
12 Jagatsinghpur 2.10 2.42 16.40 0.00 0.90 15.09 0.45 1.03 15.14
13 Jajpur 0.52 3.31 15.79 0.00 1.52 8.84 2.13 2.79 14.28
14 Jharsuguda 0.00 2.25 23.56 0.00 0.83 21.75 0.00 0.00 20.25
15 Kalahandi 0.93 3.27 26.61 0.00 2.83 18.77 1.26 4.02 18.39
16 Kandhamal 2.16 6.07 18.70 1.39 3.99 14.25 2.52 5.19 14.88
17 Kendrapada 0.90 3.48 17.88 1.91 1.65 15.56 1.81 1.90 18.29
18 Keonjhar 1.77 3.44 27.01 1.47 4.70 18.76 1.59 3.76 22.01
19 Khordha 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.67 0.00
20 Koraput 0.00 5.87 24.27 0.00 6.44 18.97 2.90 9.27 21.47
21 Malkanagiri 2.24 6.85 22.64 0.00 2.01 14.98 4.24 12.88 21.27
22 Mayurbhanj 0.11 4.34 21.35 1.05 3.51 15.71 1.91 4.66 15.94
23 Nabarangpur 0.00 7.91 31.60 0.08 1.85 23.39 1.00 3.96 29.65
24 Nayagarh 0.70 2.07 10.60 0.53 0.78 7.36 0.60 0.77 7.96
25 Nuapada 0.42 6.28 29.63 0.00 1.89 17.41 0.45 4.12 23.17
26 Puri 0.34 1.77 13.22 0.09 0.00 6.56 0.76 0.54 7.94
27 Rayagada 2.66 7.54 23.48 2.66 7.07 17.82 2.86 5.30 20.18
28 Sambalpur 0.00 3.79 10.13 0.00 1.71 3.69 0.87 1.97 5.49
29 Sonepur 0.01 0.00 11.18 0.00 1.13 7.77 0.03 2.23 10.37
30 Sundargarh 0.00 2.36 16.82 0.00 1.79 10.80 0.68 2.91 14.98
Total 0.00 3.15 17.72 0.00 2.00 12.80 0.71 3.24 14.96
****