Lok Sabha Question No. 1088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: Decline in Enrollment of SC, ST, OBC and Girls Students
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Abhay Kumar Sinha

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1088

ANSWERED ON 10.02.2025

## Decline in Enrollment of SC, ST, OBC and Girls Students

†1088. Shri Abhay Kumar Sinha:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the time by which the Government fulfil the dream of Equal Education to All;
- (b) whether the number of admissions in schools have declined by nearly 37 lakhs in the year 2023-24 and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether  such  decline  was  highest  among  SC,  ST,  OBC  and  girls  students  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (d) whether any action has been taken by the Government to overcome the decline in school admission, shortage of teachers and to improve infrastructure facilities in schools; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) :  The  NEP, 2020 is premised in ensuring access and inclusivity for all and aims to achieve 100% Gross  Enrolment  Ratio  (GER)  pre-primary  to  Secondary  level  by  2030.  Central  Government  assist States and UTs through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, which is also aligned with NEP 2020 to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment which should take care of their diverse background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in the learning process.
- (b) : The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education has developed the  Unified  District  Information  System  for  Education  Plus  (UDISE+)  system  to  record  data  on indicators of school education provided by all the States and Union Territories. W.e.f 2022-23, UDISE+ captures individual student wise data and created student's registry. As per UDISE+, total enrolments (Pre-Primary to Higher Secondary) for the year 2022-23 and 2023-24 is 25,17,91,722 and 24,80,45,828 respectively.
- (c) :  As  per  UDISE+,  total  enrolments  (Primary  to  Higher  Secondary)  of  Schedule  Castes,  Schedule Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Girls for the year 2022-23 and 2023-24 is as under.

| Enrolments (Primary to Higher Secondary)   | 2022-23      | 2023-24      |
|--------------------------------------------|--------------|--------------|
| Schedule Castes                            | 4,44,25,208  | 4,28,01,577  |
| Schedule Tribes                            | 2,39,56,131  | 2,34,41,706  |
| Other Backward Classes                     | 11,04,03,611 | 10,65,50,283 |
| Girls                                      | 11,62,09,112 | 11,32,48,084 |

(d) and (e): Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and most of the schools are under the jurisdiction  of  concerned  States  and  UTs.  Under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Samagra  Shiksha financial assistance is provided to the States and UTs for various activities to improve enrolment in Govt. schools, which include opening/strengthening of new schools up to senior secondary level, strengthening school  infrastructure,  setting  up,  up  gradation  and  running  of  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas (KGBV)  upto  class  12,  setting  up  of  residential  schools/hostel  named  Netaji  Subhas  Chandra  Bose Avasiya  Vidyalayas,  transport  allowance,  undertaking  enrolment  drives,  seasonal  hostels/residential camps, provision of vocational education and ICT facilities in schools, etc, financial  assistance is also provided for aids and appliances for children with special needs.

Recruitment of teachers  in  schools  is  a  continuous  process  as  vacancies  keep  arising  due  to factors  like  retirement,  resignation  and  additional  requirements  on  account  of  enhanced  students' strength/new schools and the onus of recruitment of teachers through a comprehensive technology based planning and forecasting exercise lies on the respective State Government/Union Territory administration.

The Department of School Education and Literacy, from time to time, through review meetings and advisories, requests the State Governments and UT administrations to fill up these vacancies and their rational deployment.

Further, the Central Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, provides financial assistance to the States and UTs to maintain appropriate Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) for various levels  of  schooling,  as  per  norms  prescribed  in  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, as amended from time to time.