Parliament Question: Enrolment in Government schools

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO – 536 ANSWERED ON 04/02/2026 Enrolment in Government schools 536 Shri C. Ve. Shanmugam: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that there is a huge drop in the rate of enrolement in Government schools across the country; (b) if so, the details thereof during the last three years, year-wise, State-wise; (c) whether Government has studied the reasons behind this drop in Government schools; (d) if so, the details thereof; and (e) the steps taken by Government to encourage enrolment in Government schools? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (e): As per UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus), State/UT wise Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Government schools by level of education from the year 2022-23 to 2024-25 is available at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl_ques. As per report titled ‘Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)’ for the year 2023-24 released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the major reasons for drop-out of school children are to supplement household income, to attend domestic chores, not interested in studies, unable to cope up with studies, child suffering with some disability, poor health, education not considered necessary by the parents, preparation of competitive examination, marriage etc. 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 hot cooked meal provided from Balvatika to class 8 under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna. Financial assistance/grant is also provided to the States and UTs including Uttar Pradesh 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/grant is also provided for aids and appliances for children with special needs. ******