Lok Sabha Question No. 112 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-03
Subject: Closure or Merger of Schools
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Rachna Banerjee

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-112

ANSWERED ON 03.02.2025

## Closure or Merger of Schools

112. Smt. Rachna Banerjee:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Government schools closed or merged during the last 10 years in the country, yearwise and State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has identified the reasons for closure of these schools;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps to reopen these schools;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the number of private schools opened during the last ten years in the country, State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) : 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.  As  per  UDISE+, State/UT-wise number of Government schools from the year 2014-15 to 2023-24 are at annexure-I.
- (b) to  (d):  Education  is  in  the  Concurrent  list  of  the  Constitution  and  the  opening,  closing  and rationalisation of schools are within the purview of respective State Government and UT Administration. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides children's access to elementary schools within the defined area or limits of neighbourhood. In pursuance to  Section  6  of  the  RTE  Act,  all  States  have  notified  area  or  limits  of  their  neighbourhood  norms. Further, Section 8 of the RTE Act, 2009 also mandates that the appropriate government shall provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child and will ensure availability of neighbourhood schools.

Also, central Government assist States and UTs through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha.  Financial  assistance  is  also  provided  to  the  States  and  UTs  for  various  activities  to reduce  dropout  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, providing free text books and free uniform, transport/escort facility, etc, financial assistance is also provided for aids and appliances for children with special needs.

- (e):  As  per  UDISE+,  State/UT-wise  number  of  Private  schools  registered  from  the  year  2014-15  to 2023-24 are at annexure-II.

******

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  112  ANSWERED  ON  03.02.2025  ASKED  BY  HONB'LE  MP  SMT.  RACHNA  BANERJEE REGARDING 'CLOSURE OR MERGER OF SCHOOLS'

State/UT-wise number of Government schools from the year 2014-15 to 2023-24

| India/State/UT           | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   | Number of Government Schools in the year   |
|--------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| India/State/UT           | 2014-15                                    | 2015-16                                    | 2016-17                                    | 2017-18                                    | 2018-19                                    | 2019-20                                    | 2020-21                                    | 2021-22                                    | 2022-23                                    | 2023-24                                    |
| India                    | 1107101                                    | 1104796                                    | 1101371                                    | 1094543                                    | 1083747                                    | 1032570                                    | 1032049                                    | 1022386                                    | 1016010                                    | 1017660                                    |
| Andaman& Nicobar Islands | 344                                        | 344                                        | 344                                        | 339                                        | 339                                        | 342                                        | 342                                        | 342                                        | 342                                        | 340                                        |
| Andhra Pradesh           | 46666                                      | 44907                                      | 44700                                      | 44896                                      | 45013                                      | 45115                                      | 45145                                      | 45137                                      | 45167                                      | 45000                                      |
| Arunachal Pradesh        | 3408                                       | 3492                                       | 3459                                       | 3447                                       | 3179                                       | 3056                                       | 3061                                       | 2985                                       | 2922                                       | 2847                                       |
| Assam                    | 52927                                      | 53020                                      | 53042                                      | 50965                                      | 47223                                      | 47157                                      | 46749                                      | 45490                                      | 44925                                      | 45008                                      |
| Bihar                    | 74291                                      | 74689                                      | 74908                                      | 73528                                      | 72630                                      | 72610                                      | 75555                                      | 75558                                      | 75550                                      | 78120                                      |
| Chandigarh               | 113                                        | 115                                        | 116                                        | 121                                        | 121                                        | 121                                        | 121                                        | 123                                        | 119                                        | 119                                        |
| Chhattisgarh             | 50061                                      | 47181                                      | 47216                                      | 48848                                      | 48671                                      | 48547                                      | 48619                                      | 48743                                      | 48728                                      | 48803                                      |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli      | 299                                        | 299                                        | 301                                        | 300                                        | 300                                        | 300                                        | 407                                        | 388                                        | 387                                        | 360                                        |
| Daman &Diu               | 114                                        | 119                                        | 119                                        | 115                                        | 112                                        | 109                                        |                                            |                                            |                                            |                                            |
| Delhi                    | 2844                                       | 2828                                       | 2791                                       | 2787                                       | 2784                                       | 2767                                       | 2751                                       | 2762                                       | 2673                                       | 2693                                       |
| Goa                      | 906                                        | 894                                        | 873                                        | 846                                        | 833                                        | 827                                        | 821                                        | 814                                        | 806                                        | 789                                        |
| Gujarat                  | 34817                                      | 34891                                      | 35122                                      | 35152                                      | 35202                                      | 35040                                      | 34967                                      | 34699                                      | 34651                                      | 34597                                      |
| Haryana                  | 14630                                      | 14640                                      | 14483                                      | 14450                                      | 14516                                      | 14484                                      | 14563                                      | 14562                                      | 14443                                      | 14374                                      |
| Himachal Pradesh         | 15355                                      | 15386                                      | 15489                                      | 15465                                      | 15433                                      | 15398                                      | 15391                                      | 15380                                      | 15447                                      | 15217                                      |
| Jammu &Kashmir           | 23874                                      | 23834                                      | 23855                                      | 23904                                      | 24080                                      | 23165                                      | 23167                                      | 23173                                      | 18785                                      | 18785                                      |
| Jharkhand                | 41322                                      | 41159                                      | 40014                                      | 39703                                      | 35954                                      | 35931                                      | 35888                                      | 35840                                      | 35764                                      | 35795                                      |
| Karnataka                | 50486                                      | 50424                                      | 49883                                      | 50066                                      | 50184                                      | 49834                                      | 49791                                      | 49679                                      | 49520                                      | 49306                                      |
| Kerala                   | 5104                                       | 4792                                       | 5073                                       | 4783                                       | 5011                                       | 5014                                       | 5020                                       | 5010                                       | 4811                                       | 4809                                       |
| Ladakh                   | 0                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          | 0                                          | 913                                        | 915                                        | 838                                        | 841                                        | 841                                        |
| Lakshadweep              | 45                                         | 45                                         | 45                                         | 45                                         | 45                                         | 45                                         | 45                                         | 38                                         | 37                                         | 37                                         |
| Madhya Pradesh           | 121849                                     | 121976                                     | 122880                                     | 122653                                     | 122056                                     | 99411                                      | 99152                                      | 92695                                      | 92741                                      | 92439                                      |
| Maharashtra              | 67717                                      | 67629                                      | 67154                                      | 66750                                      | 66033                                      | 65886                                      | 65734                                      | 65639                                      | 65431                                      | 65157                                      |
| Manipur                  | 2372                                       | 3332                                       | 3323                                       | 3037                                       | 3073                                       | 2876                                       | 2878                                       | 2889                                       | 2922                                       | 2934                                       |
| Meghalaya                | 7763                                       | 7775                                       | 7793                                       | 7805                                       | 7802                                       | 7799                                       | 7795                                       | 7783                                       | 7778                                       | 7779                                       |
| Mizoram                  | 2592                                       | 2591                                       | 2595                                       | 2582                                       | 2564                                       | 2552                                       | 2558                                       | 2563                                       | 2567                                       | 2587                                       |
| Nagaland                 | 2279                                       | 2101                                       | 2097                                       | 2080                                       | 2007                                       | 2011                                       | 1975                                       | 1960                                       | 1954                                       | 1952                                       |
| Odisha                   | 58697                                      | 58740                                      | 58052                                      | 56313                                      | 55483                                      | 53260                                      | 50256                                      | 49072                                      | 48767                                      | 48671                                      |
| Puducherry               | 436                                        | 430                                        | 424                                        | 424                                        | 423                                        | 422                                        | 422                                        | 422                                        | 422                                        | 420                                        |
| Punjab                   | 20772                                      | 20529                                      | 20568                                      | 19515                                      | 19404                                      | 19377                                      | 19330                                      | 19259                                      | 19245                                      | 19242                                      |
| Rajasthan                | 70210                                      | 70961                                      | 68039                                      | 66943                                      | 67607                                      | 67660                                      | 68813                                      | 68948                                      | 69538                                      | 70233                                      |
| Sikkim                   | 868                                        | 870                                        | 874                                        | 853                                        | 854                                        | 851                                        | 851                                        | 864                                        | 864                                        | 864                                        |
| Tamil Nadu               | 37911                                      | 38209                                      | 38307                                      | 37634                                      | 37728                                      | 37579                                      | 37589                                      | 37636                                      | 37658                                      | 37672                                      |
| Telangana                | 29268                                      | 29127                                      | 29427                                      | 29845                                      | 29822                                      | 30001                                      | 30015                                      | 30023                                      | 29997                                      | 30022                                      |
| Tripura                  | 4326                                       | 4322                                       | 4320                                       | 4314                                       | 4309                                       | 4275                                       | 4265                                       | 4262                                       | 4245                                       | 4238                                       |
| Uttar Pradesh            | 162228                                     | 162645                                     | 162927                                     | 163114                                     | 163142                                     | 137638                                     | 137068                                     | 137024                                     | 137003                                     | 137102                                     |
| Uttarakhand              | 17753                                      | 17752                                      | 17753                                      | 17629                                      | 16934                                      | 16741                                      | 16651                                      | 16484                                      | 16381                                      | 16201                                      |
| West Bengal              | 82454                                      | 82748                                      | 83005                                      | 83292                                      | 82876                                      | 83456                                      | 83379                                      | 83302                                      | 82579                                      | 82307                                      |

Source: UDISE, UDISE+

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  112  ANSWERED  ON  03.02.2025  ASKED  BY  HONB'LE  MP  SMT.  RACHNA  BANERJEE REGARDING 'CLOSURE OR MERGER OF SCHOOLS'

State/UT-wise number of Private schools from the year 2014-15 to 2023-24

| India/State/UT           | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   | Number of Private Schools in the year   |
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| India/State/UT           | 2014-15                                 | 2015-16                                 | 2016-17                                 | 2017-18                                 | 2018-19                                 | 2019-20                                 | 2020-21                                 | 2021-22                                 | 2022-23                                 | 2023-24                                 |
| India                    | 288164                                  | 295059                                  | 303725                                  | 322201                                  | 326228                                  | 337499                                  | 340753                                  | 335844                                  | 323430                                  | 331108                                  |
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands | 68                                      | 68                                      | 69                                      | 76                                      | 72                                      | 73                                      | 73                                      | 72                                      | 70                                      | 70                                      |
| Andhra Pradesh           | 14269                                   | 14846                                   | 14005                                   | 15787                                   | 15862                                   | 16173                                   | 15792                                   | 15058                                   | 15127                                   | 15232                                   |
| Arunachal Pradesh        | 447                                     | 465                                     | 495                                     | 499                                     | 503                                     | 493                                     | 496                                     | 503                                     | 503                                     | 529                                     |
| Assam                    | 3554                                    | 4421                                    | 4745                                    | 5593                                    | 6084                                    | 6074                                    | 6045                                    | 5852                                    | 5677                                    | 5725                                    |
| Bihar                    | 3284                                    | 3944                                    | 4381                                    | 5647                                    | 6249                                    | 7630                                    | 7923                                    | 8097                                    | 8053                                    | 9167                                    |
| Chandigarh               | 73                                      | 73                                      | 73                                      | 74                                      | 74                                      | 74                                      | 75                                      | 76                                      | 77                                      | 77                                      |
| Chhattisgarh             | 5701                                    | 5946                                    | 6372                                    | 6667                                    | 6842                                    | 7008                                    | 7131                                    | 7063                                    | 6931                                    | 7153                                    |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli      | 32                                      | 32                                      | 33                                      | 35                                      | 35                                      | 42                                      |                                         |                                         |                                         |                                         |
| Daman &Diu               | 22                                      | 22                                      | 22                                      | 24                                      | 23                                      | 23                                      | 63                                      | 63                                      | 63                                      | 63                                      |
| Delhi                    | 2641                                    | 2669                                    | 2682                                    | 2682                                    | 2666                                    | 2652                                    | 2641                                    | 2610                                    | 2570                                    | 2565                                    |
| Goa                      | 140                                     | 150                                     | 152                                     | 146                                     | 139                                     | 138                                     | 138                                     | 139                                     | 140                                     | 141                                     |
| Gujarat                  | 11555                                   | 11745                                   | 12502                                   | 13253                                   | 13641                                   | 13898                                   | 13834                                   | 13559                                   | 13387                                   | 13490                                   |
| Haryana                  | 6415                                    | 6612                                    | 7138                                    | 7571                                    | 7913                                    | 8195                                    | 8235                                    | 8261                                    | 8315                                    | 8415                                    |
| Himachal Pradesh         | 2614                                    | 2652                                    | 2718                                    | 2829                                    | 2778                                    | 2786                                    | 2753                                    | 2646                                    | 2613                                    | 2607                                    |
| Jammu &Kashmir           | 5173                                    | 5256                                    | 5374                                    | 5425                                    | 5552                                    | 5585                                    | 5649                                    | 5526                                    | 5407                                    | 5452                                    |
| Jharkhand                | 1431                                    | 1700                                    | 1417                                    | 1393                                    | 1400                                    | 1522                                    | 1542                                    | 1559                                    | 1583                                    | 1634                                    |
| Karnataka                | 17331                                   | 17678                                   | 18760                                   | 19645                                   | 20604                                   | 20069                                   | 19915                                   | 19650                                   | 19531                                   | 19542                                   |
| Kerala                   | 2999                                    | 3449                                    | 3260                                    | 3533                                    | 3156                                    | 3282                                    | 3241                                    | 3164                                    | 3095                                    | 3082                                    |
| Ladakh                   | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 112                                     | 112                                     | 112                                     | 111                                     | 114                                     |
| Lakshadweep              | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       | 0                                       |
| Madhya Pradesh           | 25962                                   | 26073                                   | 27190                                   | 28103                                   | 29182                                   | 31201                                   | 31512                                   | 30345                                   | 28047                                   | 28910                                   |
| Maharashtra              | 16012                                   | 16845                                   | 18091                                   | 19166                                   | 19400                                   | 19654                                   | 19632                                   | 19268                                   | 18723                                   | 18642                                   |
| Manipur                  | 894                                     | 927                                     | 927                                     | 954                                     | 1003                                    | 1015                                    | 1027                                    | 1010                                    | 996                                     | 1010                                    |
| Meghalaya                | 2274                                    | 2354                                    | 2318                                    | 2476                                    | 2220                                    | 2198                                    | 2179                                    | 2120                                    | 2121                                    | 2152                                    |
| Mizoram                  | 971                                     | 1001                                    | 1009                                    | 1035                                    | 1025                                    | 1046                                    | 1050                                    | 1034                                    | 1023                                    | 1064                                    |
| Nagaland                 | 723                                     | 725                                     | 734                                     | 759                                     | 745                                     | 746                                     | 743                                     | 757                                     | 762                                     | 772                                     |
| Odisha                   | 3350                                    | 4043                                    | 4138                                    | 3959                                    | 4957                                    | 6375                                    | 6393                                    | 6104                                    | 6062                                    | 6042                                    |
| Puducherry               | 263                                     | 268                                     | 280                                     | 276                                     | 283                                     | 286                                     | 286                                     | 281                                     | 274                                     | 282                                     |
| Punjab                   | 7395                                    | 6825                                    | 7038                                    | 8521                                    | 8495                                    | 8623                                    | 8893                                    | 7978                                    | 7886                                    | 7704                                    |
| Rajasthan                | 34066                                   | 35071                                   | 35041                                   | 35936                                   | 35776                                   | 36056                                   | 36023                                   | 34826                                   | 34497                                   | 34729                                   |
| Sikkim                   | 403                                     | 406                                     | 439                                     | 426                                     | 417                                     | 407                                     | 393                                     | 376                                     | 368                                     | 374                                     |
| Tamil Nadu               | 10782                                   | 10796                                   | 10862                                   | 11863                                   | 12439                                   | 12382                                   | 12402                                   | 12396                                   | 11969                                   | 12481                                   |
| Telangana                | 15069                                   | 12129                                   | 12573                                   | 12031                                   | 11621                                   | 11688                                   | 12023                                   | 12193                                   | 11707                                   | 12126                                   |
| Tripura                  | 252                                     | 287                                     | 298                                     | 335                                     | 343                                     | 352                                     | 360                                     | 363                                     | 367                                     | 395                                     |
| Uttar Pradesh            | 77330                                   | 80748                                   | 83116                                   | 88571                                   | 87433                                   | 93750                                   | 96741                                   | 97808                                   | 92348                                   | 96635                                   |
| Uttarakhand              | 5353                                    | 5331                                    | 5281                                    | 5542                                    | 5519                                    | 5467                                    | 5396                                    | 5225                                    | 5140                                    | 5252 7480                               |
| West Bengal              | 9316                                    | 9502                                    | 10192                                   | 11369                                   | 11777                                   | 10424                                   | 10042                                   | 9750                                    | 7887                                    |                                         |

Source: UDISE, UDISE+