Lok Sabha Question No. 1436 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Establishment of New Government Schools as per Academic Years
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Anand Bhadauria

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1436

ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## Establishment of New Government Schools as per Academic Years

1436. Shri Anand Bhadauria:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  Government  schools  in  the  country  at  the  end  of  academic  years  from  2013-14  to 2024-25 and  as  on  31.12.2025,  State,  year  and  category-wise  i.e.  Primary,  Middle,  High  and  Higher Secondary schools;
- (b)  the  number  of  new  Government  schools  set  up/started  from  the  academic  years  from  2013-14  to 2025-26, State, year and category-wise i.e. Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary schools;
- (c) whether huge shortage of teachers at primary, secondary and higher secondary levels in Government schools has compelled the Government to close or merge Government schools, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for large scale closure and merger of Government schools in the country;
- (d)  the  number of single  teacher schools in the country present at Primary, Middle, High and Higher Secondary level and the number of students studying in those schools at each level, State/UT-wise; and (e) the details of steps taken by the Government to stop this trend of closure and merger of school in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):  Education  being  a  subject  in  the  Concurrent  List  of  the  Constitution,  an  overwhelming majority  of  the  schools  in  the  country  comes  under  the  administrative  control  of  States/UTs.  The opening, closing and rationalisation of schools are within the purview  of respective State Government  and  UT  Administration.  As  per  UDISE+  (Unified  District  Information  System  for Education  Plus),  State/UT  wise  number  of  Government  schools  at  Primary,  Upper  Primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary from the year 2013-14 to 2024-25 is available at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques.

As  per  UDISE+,  number  of  teachers  at  primary,  upper  primary,  secondary  and  higher secondary levels in Government schools for the year 2023-24 to 2024-25.

| Year    | Number of Teachers - all types of management   | Number of Teachers - all types of management   | Number of Teachers - all types of management   | Number of Teachers - all types of management   | Number of Teachers - all types of management   |
|---------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| Year    | Total                                          | Primary                                        | Upper Primary                                  | Secondary                                      | Higher Secondary                               |
| 2023-24 | 5037671                                        | 1765068                                        | 1554433                                        | 532314                                         | 1185856                                        |
| 2024-25 | 5149771                                        | 1763157                                        | 1585109                                        | 531129                                         | 1270376                                        |

As  per  UDISE+,  State/UT  wise  number  of  single  teacher  schools  at  Primary,  Upper Primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary level and the number of students studying in those schools for the year 2023-24 to 2024-25 is available at  https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques.

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.

Central  Government  assist  States  and  UTs  through  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of Samagra Shiksha and hot cooked meal provided from Balvatika to class 8 under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna. Financial assistance/grant is also provided to the States and UTs including Uttar Pradesh for various activities to reduce dropout and increase enrolment in Government schools, which include opening/strengthening of new  schools up to Senior Secondary level, strengthening school infrastructure, setting up and up gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas  (KGBV)  upto  class  12,  setting  up  of  residential  schools/hostels  named  Netaji  Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, hostels under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA), 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/grant is also provided for aids and appliances for children with special needs.

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