In a significant development for India’s education sector, the total student enrolment in schools fell by over one crore in the academic year 2023-24, according to the latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report released by the Ministry of Education (MoE).

The report revealed that 24.8 crore students were enrolled during the year, marking a sharp decline from the previous trend of around 26 crore over the past four years.

The drop in enrolment figures has been attributed to enhanced data collection and validation mechanisms introduced under the UDISE+ system.

Education officials clarified that the new data reflects real changes, as the process now ensures the accuracy and reliability of information.

Unlike earlier methods, the UDISE+ framework involves online data uploading at the school level, followed by rigorous verification at the block, district, and state levels.

The report also highlighted that, since 2022-23, the system has undergone a transformation with the introduction of unique student identifiers, including Aadhaar-based data collection (on a voluntary basis) and the creation of unique educational IDs (EIDs) for each student.

These measures aim to eliminate duplicate and ghost entries, ensuring precise identification of beneficiaries under key government schemes such as Samagra Shiksha, PM POSHAN, and the National Scholarship Programme.

An analysis of enrolment trends revealed that the total number of students in 2018-19 was 26.02 crore, which increased to 26.45 crore in 2019-20, reflecting a 1.6% rise.

However, the numbers began to stagnate in 2020-21, and by 2022-23, enrolment dropped to 25.18 crore. The latest data for 2023-24 shows a further decline to 24.8 crore, translating to a 6% reduction—or nearly 1.22 crore fewer students—compared to 2018-19.

In terms of gender-wise enrolment, boys saw a 4.87% drop, from 13.53 crore in 2018-19 to 12.87 crore in 2023-24, while girls’ enrolment fell by 4.48%, from 12.49 crore to 11.93 crore over the same period.

The decline in enrolment was more pronounced in states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Bihar recorded a drop of over 35.65 lakh students, with enrolment decreasing from 2.49 crore in 2018-19 to 2.13 crore in 2023-24.

Uttar Pradesh saw a reduction of 28.26 lakh students, from 4.44 crore to 4.16 crore, while Maharashtra experienced a decline of 18.55 lakh, with enrolment falling from 2.32 crore to 2.13 crore.

The report emphasised that the enhanced data ecosystem has made it difficult to compare 2022-23 and 2023-24 figures with earlier years.

However, the creation of unique identities for students and teachers is expected to bring long-term benefits.

The accurate identification of beneficiaries will likely reduce duplication and improve the efficiency of government schemes, resulting in significant cost savings in the future.

“The establishment of unique student and teacher credentials will lead to precise beneficiary identification for schemes like Samagra Shiksha, PM POSHAN, and scholarships. This will help eliminate inefficiencies and enhance the education ecosystem,” the report noted.

While the sharp decline in enrolment figures raises concerns, officials believe the improved data collection methods represent a more accurate reflection of the school-going population.

The Ministry of Education’s revitalised UDISE+ system is expected to pave the way for more efficient and transparent management of the education sector, even as stakeholders work to address the factors contributing to declining enrolments.

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