Lok Sabha Question No. 1125 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: Decline in Level of Education by NEP
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Ujjwal Raman Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1125 ANSWERED ON 10 th  February, 2025

## Decline in Level of Education by NEP

† 1125. Shri Ujjwal Raman Singh:

- Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a)  the  percentage  of  children  in  the  country  aged  between  5  to  11  years  who  have never gone to school; (b) whether the level of education in the country started declining gradually due to the National Education Policy; and (c)  if  so,  the  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  in  this  regard  and  make  the
- children aware of education?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a):  The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  is  maintaining  'Unified  District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+)' portal. No data regarding the children who have never gone to school is maintained by UDISE+. However, National Sample Survey  Office  (NSSO),  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Program  Implementation  has  been conducting Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) since 2017. As per PLFS 2023-2024 report, 3.06% of children in the country aged 5-11 years have never gone to school.
- (b)  &  (c):  The  level  of  education  in  the  country  has  not  declined  due  to  the  National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. NEP 2020 has introduced transformative reforms aimed at improving the quality of education at all levels. Recognizing the need for foundational literacy  and  numeracy,  equitable  learning  opportunities,  and  modern  pedagogy,  the policy  has  restructured  the  education  system  to  make  it  more  inclusive,  competencybased, and outcome-oriented.

To achieve these goals, the government has implemented various initiatives under NEP 2020.  PM  SHRI  (PM  Schools  for  Rising  India)  for  upgradation  of  schools;  Samagra Shiksha  for  providing  quality  education  with  an  inclusive  and  equitable  classroom environment for all children; National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding  and  Numeracy  (NIPUN  Bharat)  for  ensuring  foundational  literacy  and numeracy  by  the  end  of  Grade  3;  Vidya-Pravesh-Guidelines  for  Three-month  Playbased School Preparation Module; PM  e-VIDYA  to unify all efforts related to digital/online/on-air  education  to  enable  coherent  multi-mode  access  to  education, DIKSHA  (Digital  Infrastructure  for  Knowledge  Sharing)  as  One  Nation  One  Digital Platform having e-Books and e-Contents, launch of National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF FS) and Jadui Pitara for play-based learning teaching material tailored  for  children  between  the  age  group  of  3  to  8  years;  PARAKH  (Performance Assessment,  Review,  and  Analysis  of  Knowledge  for  Holistic  Development)  aimed  at transforming student assessments  from rote memorization to  competency-based evaluation;  NISHTHA  (National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic Advancement)  1.0,  2.0  and  3.0  to  provide  structured  teacher  training  programs  and enhance teaching effectiveness.

The  impact  of  these  initiatives  is  evident  in  rising  enrolment  rates,  declining  dropout levels, improved infrastructure, and better academic performance. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) has reached 93% at the primary level, 89.7% at the upper primary level, 91.7% at the elementary level, and 77.4% at the secondary level, while dropout rates have declined to 1.9% at the primary level, 5.2% at the upper primary level, and 14.1% at  the  secondary  level.  School  infrastructure  has  seen  notable  enhancements,  with electricity  access  increasing  from  53%  in  2013-14  to  91.8%  in  2023-24,  internet availability rising from 7.3% to 53.9%, and library facilities have expanded from 76.4% to 89%.

With  a  focus  on  infrastructure  development,  teacher  training,  digital  learning,  and equitable access to education, NEP 2020 has played a crucial role in elevating learning standards and strengthening the country's education system, making it more effective and inclusive.

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