Overview

• UDISE+ 2023-24 data reveals private schools now enrol 36% of India’s 24.8 crore students, reversing slight declines seen during the pandemic’s immediate aftermath.
• In 11 states and Union Territories discussed during March-April Project Approval Board meetings, the Ministry flagged steady declines in government and aided school enrolments despite their majority share of institutions.
• Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttarakhand report government schools making up around 70% of infrastructure but accounting for just 38–46% of student registrations.
• Kerala and Maharashtra link reduced government school figures to Aadhaar-based data cleansing exercises, a reason also cited by officials in other regions.
• The Ministry has instructed states to analyse root causes, roll out targeted measures to rebuild confidence in government schools and address rising demand for private education in early grades.