Lok Sabha Question No. 27 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Closure of Government Schools
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. Mohammad Jawed, Shri Bhajan Lal Jatav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO - 27

## ANSWERED ON 02/02/2026

## Closure of Government Schools

- *27. Dr. Mohammad Jawed: Shri Bhajan Lal Jatav: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that a number of Government schools have been shut down/closed in the country during the last five years; (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of such schools that have been shut down during the said period, State/UT-wise including Rajasthan; (c) the details of reasons for the closure of such Government schools; and
- (d) the number of students who have dropped out of school as a result of the closure of these Government schools during the said period, State/UT-wise and school-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  TO  (D)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 27 ANSWERED ON 02/02/2026 ASKED BY HONB'LE MP'S DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED AND SHRI BHAJAN LAL JATAV REGARDING 'CLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS'

(a)  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.

As per the data available on UDISE+, advancements have been made in improving universal access  across  all  levels  of  school  education.  This  is  evidenced  by  Gross  Access  Ratio  (GAR)  for 2018-19 and 2024-25:

| Year    |   Primary |   Upper Primary |   Secondary |   Higher Secondary |
|---------|-----------|-----------------|-------------|--------------------|
| 2018-19 |     97.15 |           96.49 |       88.24 |              65.05 |
| 2024-25 |     97.83 |           96.57 |       95.35 |              94.97 |

GAR: Gross access ratio (GAR) is total villages/habitations having school within specified norm  in a year out of total villages/habitations in that year.

Gross Access Ratio has improved over the years and dropout rates across pedagogical school category has fallen.

As  per  UDISE+  (Unified  District  Information  System  for  Education  Plus),  State/UT-wise number of Government schools including in Rajasthan, as reported by them and dropout rate by level of education from the year 2020-21 to 2024-25 are available at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques .

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