India’s school infrastructure reflects both progress and persistent gaps, as detailed in the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2023-24 report. While over 90% of schools provide essential amenities like electricity and gender-specific toilets, access to advanced facilities such as functional computers, internet connectivity, and ramps with handrails remains limited.
Only 57.2% of schools have working computers, 53.9% offer internet access, and 52.3% are equipped with ramps, highlighting significant shortfalls in technology and accessibility.
Enrollment Trends and Data Accuracy
Student enrollment has declined by 37 lakh, totaling 24.8 crore in 2023-24, with boys making up 51.9% and girls 48.1% of the student population. A transition to Aadhaar-linked unique educational IDs allows for precise, student-level data collection. “This method provides a clearer picture of the education system,” a ministry official stated, suggesting that the new approach might partially explain observed enrollment shifts.
Rising Dropout Rates and Retention Challenges
Dropout rates increase from 5.2% in middle school to 10.9% at the secondary level, mirroring retention rates that drop from 85.4% at the preparatory stage to 45.6% at the secondary level. Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER) also reveal disparities: 96.5% at the preparatory level, 41.5% at the foundational level, 89.5% in middle school, and 66.5% at the secondary level.
State-Level Disparities
State-specific differences complicate these challenges. For instance, West Bengal has 79% foundational and preparatory schools but only 11.6% secondary schools, creating a bottleneck for students progressing to higher education. Conversely, Chandigarh has 75.6% secondary schools but just 6.1% foundational institutions, limiting early education access.
Teacher Deployment and Pupil-Teacher Ratios
Teacher availability and pupil-teacher ratios (PTR) remain critical concerns. States like Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal exceed the National Education Policy (NEP)-recommended PTR of 30:1 at the secondary level. In contrast, Delhi and Chandigarh align with these norms. Meanwhile, states like Assam, Odisha, and Karnataka face low student-to-school ratios, resulting in underutilized infrastructure.
Inclusivity and Representation
The report highlights efforts toward inclusivity, with girls constituting 48.1% of total enrollments and minority students making up 20%, 79.6% of whom are Muslim. Social category data shows 45.2% of students belong to OBC groups, followed by 18% SC and 9.9% ST students. However, Aadhaar seeding rates vary significantly, with Meghalaya (24.1%), Bihar (38.8%), and Manipur (51.8%) lagging, potentially affecting targeted interventions.
Call to Action
The UDISE+ report underscores systemic challenges, including infrastructure gaps, teacher shortages, and uneven transition rates between educational stages. While 98.1% of students move from foundational to preparatory levels, only 83.3% transition from middle to secondary education.
Addressing these disparities is critical for achieving NEP 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Aadhaar-linked educational IDs play a vital role in tracking dropouts, streamlining re-enrollment, and improving governance for programs like Samagra Shiksha and PM POSHAN. Optimizing resources, improving infrastructure, and ensuring equitable access to quality education remain essential to fulfilling NEP’s vision of inclusive and universal education by 2030.
