**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 125, answered on February 9, 2026, regarding the reported shortfall in school and college enrolment in Andhra Pradesh for 2025-26. The document outlines government initiatives and support provided to address this shortfall and improve enrolment rates. The document covers the actions taken and support provided by the Government of India.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Enrolment Data:**
* Total enrolment in Andhra Pradesh from Pre-Primary to Class 12 was 84,54,817 in 2024-25, according to the UDISE+ report.
* Provisional data for 2025-26 indicates a total enrolment of 84,35,128 in Andhra Pradesh from Pre-Primary to Class 12.
* **Central Support via National Education Policy (NEP) 2020:**
* The UDISE+ application has been revitalized since 2022-23 to capture individual student-wise data (including Aadhaar, voluntarily) to create a student registry and track children.
* **Support under Samagra Shiksha:**
* Identification and support are provided for children above six years of age who are not admitted to school or unable to complete elementary education.
* Special training is provided to Out of School Children (OoSC) to integrate them academically and emotionally.
* Financial support is provided for non-residential (up to Rs. 6,000 per child per annum) and residential courses (up to Rs. 20,000 per child per annum).
* **Samagra Shiksha Programme:**
* The Government of India is implementing Samagra Shiksha, a program for school education from pre-primary to Class-XII, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.
* Financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for improving school infrastructure, universal access, gender equity, inclusive education, quality education, digital initiatives, teacher education, vocational education, and entitlements under the Right to Education Act.
* **Major Interventions under Samagra Shiksha:**
* Upgradation and improvement of school infrastructure (classrooms, basic facilities, sanitation, safe environment).
* Support for providing school uniforms and textbooks.
* Support for pre-primary classes to increase overall enrolment.
* Identifying Out of School Children (OoSC) and providing support for their education.
* Support for smart classrooms, digital boards, ICT labs, and virtual classrooms.
* Support for transport facilities, Children with Special Needs (CwSN), Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs), and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalaya (NSCBAV).
* Construction of hostels for PVTGs under PM-JANMAN and for ST population under DAJGUA.
* Support for strengthening teacher education institutions.
* **Enrolment Initiatives and Support:**
* States/UTs are encouraged to undertake enrolment drives and community mobilization.
* The PM POSHAN scheme (Mid-Day Meal) provides nutritious meals to increase enrolment, retention, and attendance.
* **State Government of Andhra Pradesh Initiatives:**
* SMS alerts are sent to parents after three consecutive days of student absence.
* Welfare and Education Officials visit the residences of students absent for over a week to address the reasons for absence and ensure their return.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Students in Andhra Pradesh**
* **Impact:** The initiatives aim to improve access to education, provide better facilities, and offer financial and academic support, especially for vulnerable and out-of-school children.
* **Action Required:** Students and parents should take advantage of the available support, including enrolment drives, financial assistance, and educational programs.
**Stakeholder: State Government of Andhra Pradesh**
* **Impact:** The State Government receives financial and programmatic support from the Central Government to improve school infrastructure, increase enrolment, and provide quality education.
* **Action Required:** The State Government needs to implement and monitor the various programs and interventions under Samagra Shiksha, track student attendance, and address the reasons for student absence to ensure that students return to school.
**Stakeholder: Teachers and School Administrators**
* **Impact:** Teachers and school administrators will benefit from improved facilities, support for professional development, and resources for teaching and learning.
* **Action Required:** They must actively participate in enrolment drives, identify and support out-of-school children, and implement strategies to improve student attendance and retention.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Education (Government of India)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for overseeing the implementation of Samagra Shiksha and providing financial and programmatic support to States/UTs to address enrolment shortfalls and improve the quality of education.
* **Action Required:** The Ministry needs to continue monitoring enrolment trends, assessing the impact of various interventions, and providing ongoing support and guidance to States/UTs.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Education: The central government ministry responsible for education in India, addressing questions related to school and college enrolment.
Samagra Shiksha: An overarching program for the school education sector from pre-primary to Class-XII, aiming for inclusive and equitable quality education across India.
Andhra Pradesh: The state where the reported shortfall in school and college enrolment is occurring.
UDISE+: Unified District Information System for Education Plus, the source of data on student enrolment in Andhra Pradesh.
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: The national policy that UDISE+ application is updated according to, and in compliance with which, student-wise data is collected.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 125
ANSWERED ON - 09/02/2026
Shortfall in School and College Enrolment in Andhra Pradesh
*125. Shri P V Midhun Reddy:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken note of the reported shortfall of 2,66,860
students in schools and junior colleges enrolment in Andhra Pradesh for 2025-26;
(b) if so, the details of Central support such as data-cleaning, tracking out-of-school
children and Aadhaar/UDISE linkage that has been offered to the State and if not, the
reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government has adopted any specific criteria to trigger special
corrective action in States/UTs with sudden enrolment drops, if so, the details thereof;
and
(d) if not, the reasons therefor?
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 PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 125 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026 ASKED BY HON’BLE
MP SHRI P V MIDHUN REDDY REGARDING ‘SHORTFALL IN SCHOOL AND
COLLEGE ENROLMENT IN ANDHRA PRADESH’
(a): As per latest UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) report
of 2024-25, total enrolment of students in Andhra Pradesh from Pre-Primary to
Class 12 was 84,54,817. As per UDISE+ provisional data for 2025-26, total enrolment
of students in Andhra Pradesh from Pre-Primary to Class-12 is 84,35,128.
(b): In compliance with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with effect from 2022-
23, UDISE+ application has been revitalized to capture individual student-wise data
(including Aadhaar Number on voluntary basis) for creating student registry and tracking
of children.
Support under Samagra Shiksha is provided for identification of children above
six years of age who have not been admitted in any school or though admitted, could
not complete elementary education, for admission into age-appropriate class. Further,
special training facility is provided to such Out of School Children (OoSC) to integrate
academically and emotionally with the rest of the class. For this purpose, financial
support up to Rs.6,000/- per child per annum for non-residential courses and up to Rs.
20,000/- per child per annum for residential courses is provided.
(c) & (d): Government of India is implementing Samagra Shiksha, an overarching
programme for the school education sector extending from pre-primary to Class-XII.
Samagra Shiksha aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels
of school education, across the country. Financial assistance is provided to States/UTs
for improving school infrastructure, universal access, bringing gender equity, promoting
inclusive education, quality education, digital initiatives, strengthening teacher
education institutions, vocational education, entitlements under the Right of Children to
Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, etc. Some of the major interventions under
Samagra Shiksha are as follows: -
a. Upgradation and improvement of school infrastructure including classrooms, basic
facilities, sanitation, safe and clean environment making government schools more
attractive.
b. Support for providing school uniforms, and text books.c. Support for pre-primary class in government schools to help children get into formal
school system from early age, increasing overall enrollment.
d. Identifying Out of School Children (OoSC) and giving support for continuing their
education in age-appropriate class.
e. Support for Smart classrooms, digital boards, ICT labs, virtual classrooms to
modernize government schools.
f. Support for transport facilities to provide access to school.
g. Additional support for Children with Special Needs (CwSN).
h. Support for Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs), and Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalaya (NSCBAV) for marginal / weaker sections to
continue education in a safe residential / school facility up to higher classes.
i. Construction of hostels for PVTGs (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) under PM-
JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan), and construction
of hostels under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) for
unsaturated ST population.
j. Support for strengthening teacher education institutions.
States /UTs are encouraged to undertake enrolment drives, door-to-door
campaigns, community mobilization, etc., to increase enrollment of students in
Government schools.
Government of India is also implementing PM POSHAN scheme (Mid-Day Meal) to
provide nutritious hot cooked meals in government and aided schools to facilitate
increase in enrolment, retention and attendance.
State Government of Andhra Pradesh has also informed that SMS alerts are sent
to parents when students remain absent for more than three consecutive days. Further,
in cases where a student is absent for over a week, concerned Welfare and Education
Official at the Gram Panchayat level visits the student’s residence to ascertain the
reasons for absence and ensure their return to school.
*****