Basics: What is UDISE+?
- Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+): Annual survey by the Ministry of Education.
- Covers pre-primary to Class 12 in govt., aided, private, and other schools.
- Provides data on enrolment, dropouts, Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), infrastructure, teachers, etc.
- Latest data: 2024-25, compared to 2023-24.
Relevance : GS 2(Education , Social Issues)
Key Findings of UDISE+ 2024-25
- Sharp fall in young student enrolment (ages 3–11; Anganwadi, pre-school, Classes 1–5):
- 2023-24: 12.09 crore
- 2024-25: 11.84 crore
- Decline: 24.93 lakh students
- Overall enrolment (Classes 1–12):
- 2023-24: 24.8 crore
- 2024-25: 24.69 crore
- Drop: 11 lakh students → lowest since 2018-19.
- Historical trend:
- 2012-13: 26.3 crore
- 2021-22: ~26 crore
- 2022-23: 25.18 crore
- 2023-24: 24.8 crore
- 2024-25: 24.69 crore
- Net fall in a decade: ~1.6 crore students (~6%).
Causes of Decline in Enrolment
- Demographic transition:
- Falling birth rates → shrinking school-age population.
- India’s TFR = 1.91 (2021) < replacement level (2.1).
- Except UP, Bihar, Meghalaya, all states below replacement fertility.
- Shift to standalone pre-primary private institutions → some children outside UDISE+ school count.
- Methodological changes in 2022-23 and 2023-24 → not fully comparable to older datasets.
- Urbanization & migration: Possible undercounting of mobile/migrant children.
Positive Indicators Amid Decline
- Rising GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio):
- Middle level: 89.5% → 90.3% (2023-24 to 2024-25).
- Secondary level: 66.5% → 68.5%.
- Suggests higher share of eligible children are actually enrolled, even if population base shrinks.
- Dropout rates improving:
- Preparatory stage: 3.7% → 2.3%.
- Middle school: 5.2% → 3.5%.
- Secondary: 10.9% → 8.2%.
- Indicates better retention, fewer children leaving school midway.
- Higher enrolment in upper classes:
- Classes 6–8: +6 lakh students (6.31 → 6.36 crore).
- Classes 9–12: +8 lakh students (6.39 → 6.48 crore).
- Suggests progress in transition from primary to secondary education.
Implications of the Decline
- Demographic dividend challenge: Shrinking base of young students → smaller workforce in future.
- Education system planning: Govt. must align teacher recruitment, infrastructure, and budgets with falling school-age population.
- Policy focus shift:
- From universal access → to quality of learning outcomes.
- With fewer children, per-child investment can be higher.
- Regional disparities: States like UP & Bihar (still high fertility) may see continued high demand for schools, while southern & western states face declining enrolment.
- Long-term social impact: Lower child population → ageing society sooner, with implications for pensions, health care, and dependency ratios.
Way Forward
- Use of upcoming 2026 Census: To update school-age population base and refine GER/dropout estimates.
- Policy realignment:
- Rationalizing school infrastructure in low-population areas.
- Investing more in teacher training, digital learning, foundational literacy.
- Focus on early childhood education: Integrate Anganwadis and standalone pre-schools into formal system (NEP 2020 mandate).
- Address regional imbalance:
- Northern states → focus on access (school availability).
- Southern states → focus on retention & higher-order skills.
