Lok Sabha Question No. 4910 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Enrolment and Retention Rates of Girls in Schools
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Tharaniventhan M S

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4910 ANSWERED ON 23/03/2026

## Enrolment and Retention Rates of Girls in Schools

4910. Shri Tharaniventhan M S:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the current enrolment and retention rates of girls in schools under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  the  specific  initiatives  that  have  been  implemented  under  Samagra  Shiksha  to  increase  the enrolment of girls, particularly at the secondary and senior secondary levels;
- (c) whether there are any scholarships, incentives or financial assistance programme available for girls under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme and if so, the number of girls benefitting from such financial support during each of the last one year;
- (d)  the  awareness  campaigns  conducted  under  Samagra  Shiksha  to  promote  girls'  education  and engage communities in supporting the education of girls; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to ensure gender-sensitive infrastructure in schools, such as separate toilets, hygiene facilities and safe spaces to encourage girls' attendance?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e) State/UT-wise details of the current enrolment and retention rates of girls in schools under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, are at Annexure . Further, the Gender Parity Index is above 1.0 at all pedagogical structures and the dropout rate for girls is lower than that of boys.

Under Samagra Shiksha, various interventions have been targeted for girls, which include opening of schools in the neighbourhood to make access easier for girls, free uniform and text-books to girls up to Class VIII, Self-Defence Training to Girls of class VI to XII of Govt. Schools, additional teachers and residential quarters for teachers in remote/hilly areas, appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, stipend @Rs. 200 per month for 10 months in a year to CWSN girls from class  I  to  class  XII,  separate  toilets  for  girls,  teachers'  sensitization  programs  to  promote  girls participation, gender-sensitive teaching-learning materials including text books etc. A total number of 5.50 lakh CwSN girls received stipend during 2024-25.

Further,  special  state  specific  projects  for  varied  interventions  under  equity  are  also emphasized for  enhancing  access,  retention  and  quality  for  girls  by  promoting  enrolment  drives, retention and motivation camps, gender sensitization modules etc. Such projects include life skills, awareness programmes, incinerators, sanitary pad vending machines etc. Under Samagra Shiksha, there is a provision of Separate toilets for girls in schools. As per UDISE+ 2024-25, 97.1% Govt. Schools have Separate toilets for girls in schools.

To reduce  gender  gaps  at  all  levels  of  school  education,  there  is  a  provision  of  Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) under Samagra Shiksha. KGBVs are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups such as SC, ST, OBC and others. For admission in KGBVs for Grade VI, the States/UTs do awareness campaigns for enrolment of girls. In addition, under Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs for setting up of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, construction of hostels under PM-JANMAN,  construction  of  hostels  under  Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram  Utkarsh  Abhiyan (DAJGUA) for unsaturated ST population which includes hostel facilities for both boys and girls to improve the retention rate.

National  Education  Policy  (NEP),  2020  emphasizes  the  participation  of  community  and parents in helping the child to learn appropriately and in achievement of learning outcomes. Under Samagra Shiksha, there is a provision of Community Mobilization under Quality and Innovation interventions.  With  the  help  of  Community,  every  year  enrollment  drives  are  conducted  at  the beginning of the academic session for identifying and bringing out-of-school or dropout girls back into  the  formal  educational  system.  Parents  are  informed  about  various  provisions  of  Samagra Shiksha which helps to reduce financial barriers in education through awareness programs.

.

*****

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4910 TO BE  ANSWERED  ON 23 rd MARCH, 2026 ASKED BY HON'BLE MP SHRI THARANIVENTHAN  M  S  REGARDING  ENROLMENT  AND  RETENTION  RATES  OF  GIRLS  IN SCHOOLS

| S. No.   | State/UTs Name               | Girls Enrolment (All Mgt.) Schools (2024-25)   | Girls Enrolment (All Mgt.) Schools (2024-25)   | Girls Enrolment (All Mgt.) Schools (2024-25)   | Girls Enrolment (All Mgt.) Schools (2024-25)   | Girls Retention Rate (All Mgt.) - 2024-25   | Girls Retention Rate (All Mgt.) - 2024-25   | Girls Retention Rate (All Mgt.) - 2024-25   | Girls Retention Rate (All Mgt.) - 2024-25   |
|----------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | State/UTs Name               | Primary                                        | Upper Primary                                  | Secondary                                      | Higher Secondary                               | Primary                                     | Elementary                                  | Secondary                                   | Higher Secondary                            |
| 1        | Andaman and Nicobar Islands  | 11333                                          | 8153                                           | 5493                                           | 5381                                           | 100.0                                       | 91.2                                        | 88.3                                        | 82.5                                        |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh               | 1577070                                        | 1084320                                        | 657086                                         | 536012                                         | 100.0                                       | 100.0                                       | 97.6                                        | 64.3                                        |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh            | 68780                                          | 38560                                          | 22562                                          | 13846                                          | 56.9                                        | 53.6                                        | 34.8                                        | 20.7                                        |
| 4        | Assam                        | 1579996                                        | 902564                                         | 563519                                         | 305056                                         | 80.2                                        | 74.4                                        | 57.4                                        | 30.4                                        |
| 5        | Bihar                        | 4990195                                        | 2863510                                        | 1435008                                        | 1055921                                        | 90.9                                        | 77.8                                        | 37.8                                        | 26.9                                        |
| 6        | Chandigarh                   | 37529                                          | 29640                                          | 18857                                          | 19240                                          | 100.0                                       | 100.0                                       | 100.0                                       | 100.0                                       |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh Dadra and Nagar | 1199042                                        | 732078                                         | 425717                                         | 315689                                         | 93.7                                        | 90.5                                        | 67.6                                        | 54.7                                        |
| 8        | Haveli and Daman and Diu     | 28357                                          | 17517                                          | 10368                                          | 7683                                           | 100.0                                       | 95.4                                        | 83.0                                        | 62.4                                        |
| 9        | Delhi                        | 795028                                         | 558822                                         | 337745                                         | 296984                                         | 100.0                                       | 100.0                                       | 87.9                                        | 90.2                                        |
| 10       | Goa                          | 55203                                          | 35137                                          | 22040                                          | 19635                                          | 100.0                                       | 92.9                                        | 85.6                                        | 80.3                                        |
| 11       | Gujarat                      | 2148938                                        | 1494554                                        | 777536                                         | 530767                                         | 100.0                                       | 90.4                                        | 69.3                                        | 44.8                                        |
| 12       | Haryana                      | 1038381                                        | 691203                                         | 405140                                         | 338854                                         | 100.0                                       | 97.8                                        | 97.1                                        | 67.5                                        |
| 13       | Himachal Pradesh             | 231618                                         | 157862                                         | 107449                                         | 93657                                          | 100.0                                       | 95.2                                        | 91.1                                        | 84.6                                        |
| 14       | Jammu and Kashmir            | 502369                                         | 272394                                         | 163376                                         | 119331                                         | 79.8                                        | 75.1                                        | 55.6                                        | 39.7                                        |
| 15       | Jharkhand                    | 1606432                                        | 942127                                         | 570880                                         | 391784                                         | 90.6                                        | 80.8                                        | 55.3                                        | 37.2                                        |
| 16       | Karnataka                    | 2460515                                        | 1508254                                        | 1002153                                        | 682353                                         | 100.0                                       | 94.9                                        | 89.2                                        | 57.8                                        |
| 17       | Kerala                       | 1082658                                        | 723388                                         | 482379                                         | 446809                                         | 97.9                                        | 99.5                                        | 99.9                                        | 92.9                                        |
| 18       | Ladakh                       | 10806                                          | 5800                                           | 4046                                           | 2856                                           | 77.6                                        | 71.9                                        | 75.6                                        | 53.3                                        |
| 19       | Lakshadweep                  | 2530                                           | 1443                                           | 895                                            | 591                                            | 92.6                                        | 100.0                                       | 100.0                                       | 100.0                                       |
| 20       | Madhya Pradesh               | 3045523                                        | 1905758                                        | 1030466                                        | 695912                                         | 89.8                                        | 81.0                                        | 56.0                                        | 34.5                                        |
| 21       | Maharashtra                  | 4385494                                        | 2579685                                        | 1684658                                        | 1337055                                        | 100.0                                       | 92.5                                        | 86.1                                        | 68.2                                        |
| 22       | Manipur                      | 143521                                         | 70259                                          | 43762                                          | 32536                                          | 67.3                                        | 61.6                                        | 53.0                                        | 32.0                                        |
| 23       | Meghalaya                    | 244178                                         | 115793                                         | 62675                                          | 30409                                          | 57.4                                        | 44.4                                        | 32.7                                        | 18.2                                        |
| 24       | Mizoram                      | 56570                                          | 29512                                          | 19973                                          | 12836                                          | 56.7                                        | 54.0                                        | 42.9                                        | 29.1                                        |
| 25       | Nagaland                     | 78619                                          | 43387                                          | 27884                                          | 19513                                          | 70.7                                        | 50.8                                        | 48.5                                        | 31.9                                        |
| 26       | Odisha                       | 1584653                                        | 1026516                                        | 618138                                         | 472075                                         | 100.0                                       | 92.5                                        | 76.3                                        | 56.0                                        |
| 27       | Puducherry                   | 40420                                          | 27494                                          | 18848                                          | 17897                                          | 93.8                                        | 97.0                                        | 92.5                                        | 87.2                                        |
| 28       | Punjab                       | 1003521                                        | 599694                                         | 382354                                         | 340172                                         | 100.0                                       | 94.1                                        | 80.6                                        | 71.4                                        |
| 29       | Rajasthan                    | 3182406                                        | 1992018                                        | 1153110                                        | 923047                                         | 84.9                                        | 79.6                                        | 56.9                                        | 53.5                                        |
| 30       | Sikkim                       | 19593                                          | 12415                                          | 8689                                           | 7295                                           | 87.3                                        | 79.6                                        | 75.8                                        | 62.7                                        |
| 31       | Tamil Nadu                   | 2214357                                        | 1485163                                        | 985466                                         | 921941                                         | 95.7                                        | 96.1                                        | 90.7                                        | 80.2                                        |
| 32       | Telangana                    | 1466391                                        | 906616                                         | 563682                                         | 414250                                         | 100.0                                       | 95.6                                        | 79.1                                        | 57.6                                        |
| 33       | Tripura                      | 139552                                         | 88433                                          | 51744                                          | 40889                                          | 100.0                                       | 87.4                                        | 71.3                                        | 53.4                                        |
| 34       | Uttar Pradesh                | 9142434                                        | 5423757                                        | 2693442                                        | 2392311                                        | 86.9                                        | 70.7                                        | 48.4                                        | 42.7                                        |
| 35       | Uttarakhand                  | 448659                                         | 272960                                         | 172673                                         | 159351                                         | 98.8                                        | 84.3                                        | 73.5                                        | 69.9                                        |
| 36       | West Bengal                  | 3458745                                        | 2175120                                        | 1527041                                        | 859488                                         | 86.9                                        | 89.8                                        | 77.5                                        | 56.2                                        |
|          | INDIA                        | 50081416                                       | 30821906                                       | 18056854                                       | 13859426                                       | 93.4                                        | 84.2                                        | 64.2                                        | 49.6                                        |

(Source: UDISE+ 2024-25)