School admissions for the academic session 2026–27, from Nursery to KG and Classes 1 to 9, have been announced by different schools since January 2026. The new academic session and classes in most schools will begin in the first week of April 2026. However, the most critical and unresolved issue of school dropouts in India remains unaddressed, particularly in rural and marginalised areas and among socio-economically backward communities.
6.5 Million Students Out of School: A Deepening National Crisis
In India, socio-economically backward communities are broadly classified into five categories: (i) Other Backward Classes (OBC), identified by the government as “socially and educationally backward” and entitled to 27% reservation in public employment and higher education; (ii) Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC), often used interchangeably with OBC, and the formal constitutional term under Articles 15 and 16; (iii) Economically Backward Classes (EBC), a relatively newer category based solely on economic deprivation, irrespective of caste or social background; (iv) Scheduled Castes (SC); and (v) Scheduled Tribes (ST). While distinct from OBCs, SCs and STs are also considered socially disadvantaged due to historical untouchability and geographical or cultural isolation. The dropout problem is widespread across all these groups.
Over the last five years, more than 6.5 million (65 lakh) children in India have dropped out of school, as revealed in Parliament by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur. Among them, nearly 3 million (30 lakh) are adolescent girls. These numbers point to a large-scale rupture in India’s promise of universal education and highlight structural gaps in how schooling is planned, supported, and delivered, especially for children from marginalised families.
The data shows that 65.7 lakh children left school between 2019 and 2024. Of these, 2.98 million were adolescent girls, as reported by India Today.
A state-wise breakdown reveals that Gujarat recorded the highest number of out-of-school children in the 2025–26 academic year. The state identified 240,000 (2.4 lakh) such children, including 110,000 (1.1 lakh) girls. In comparison, Gujarat had reported only 54,541 out-of-school children in 2024—marking a jump of over 340 percent in a single year.
Gender Barriers: Why 3 Million Adolescent Girls Left the Classroom
Other states with high dropout numbers include Assam, which reported 150,906 out-of-school children, of whom 57,409 were girls. Uttar Pradesh recorded 99,218 dropouts, including 56,462 girls.
The Ministry cited several factors contributing to school dropouts among girls, including migration, poverty, household responsibilities, child labour, and social pressures.
For girls, the dropout journey is even more complex. They are often expected to care for younger siblings, fetch water, cook meals, and sometimes even earn income. In many families—especially in rural and tribal areas—there is pressure for early marriage or concerns about girls’ safety if they have to travel long distances to school. Each of these factors pushes them out of classrooms.
A recent state-level policy in Uttar Pradesh may have worsened the situation. The government decided to merge schools with fewer than 50 students into nearby institutions. While this may seem administratively efficient, it often means longer travel distances for children, particularly girls. For families already hesitant to send girls to school, this can become the final push towards dropping out.
“The difficulties in the documentation process for admission, coupled with challenges in accessing pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for OBC, SC, and ST students, prevent many from continuing their education,” Beena Pallical of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights was quoted as saying.
Failing Infrastructure: The Gap Between Policy and Reality
Enrolment trends also reflect the crisis. Girl student enrolment dropped by around 1.6 million, while boy student enrolment declined by about 2.1 million between 2022–23 and 2023–24. SC student enrolment fell by 1.2 million, and ST by 200,000. The number of OBC students dropped by over 2.5 million, while minority communities saw a combined decrease of 300,000.
The government and NGOs have initiated several schemes to address school dropouts, such as: (a) Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, an integrated scheme from preschool to Class 12 that provides free uniforms, textbooks, and transport allowances; (b) the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, which remains one of the most effective incentives for retaining children from low-income families by providing daily nutrition; and (c) “Bringing Children Back to School,” a targeted campaign to re-enrol dropouts through local panchayats and School Management Committees. However, the issue remains unresolved.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to achieve a 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from preschool to secondary level by 2030. The UDISE+ 2024–25 report, released in September 2025, provides a comprehensive picture of schools, enrolment, teachers, and infrastructure across the country. India has 1,471,473 schools, with an average of 168 students and 7 teachers per school. However, 7,993 schools have zero enrolment, and 104,125 (7.1%) are single-teacher schools serving 3,376,769 students—highlighting serious resource inefficiencies. States such as Telangana (2,245 zero-enrolment schools) and Uttar Pradesh (9,508 single-teacher schools) contribute significantly to these figures.
Around 5.1% of schools have fewer than 10 students, and 8.0% have between 11 and 20, indicating underutilisation, particularly in rural areas. While 93.6% of schools have electricity and 93.2% have girls’ toilets, access to digital libraries remains limited at just 6.9%. Several north-eastern states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Tripura, report electricity coverage below 90%.
Given this situation, both Central and State governments, along with NGOs, must prioritise addressing the dropout crisis. Without tackling this issue, the NEP 2020’s goal of 100% enrolment will remain unattainable.
Moreover, even if 100% enrolment is achieved, it will hold little meaning if children continue to drop out before completing their education. Enrolment alone does not ensure progression to higher education or professional opportunities. If students cannot transition from school to college, it raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of the education system.
This leads to a larger and uncomfortable question: why is the issue of school dropouts not being addressed with the urgency it deserves? Do government institutions, consciously or otherwise, allow socially and economically weaker communities to remain trapped in cycles of deprivation? If so, this reflects not just a policy failure, but a deeply troubling reality.
