Decline in Student Enrolment: UDISE+ Report 2023-24

The Ministry of Education’s Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report for 2023-24 reveals a significant decline in student enrolment, marking a notable shift from the stable figures observed in previous years.

What is UDSIE+?

UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) is an online data collection system developed by the Department of School Education & Literacy in 2018-19. It was introduced to replace the manual paper-based data collection process, with improvements in data capture, mapping, and verification.

Key Findings

Overall Enrolment Decline

 The total student enrolment decreased to 24.8 crore in 2023-24, a drop of over one crore compared to the previous years. This marks a 6% decline from the 26.02 crore recorded in 2018-19.

Gender-wise Enrolment Trends

Boys: Enrolment fell from 13.53 crore in 2018-19 to 12.87 crore in 2023-24, a 4.87% decline.

Girls: Enrolment decreased from 12.49 crore in 2018-19 to 11.93 crore in 2023-24, a 4.48% decline.

Regional Variations

Bihar: Enrolment dropped from over 2.49 crore in 2018-19 to over 2.13 crore in 2023-24, a decrease of over 35.65 lakh students.

Uttar Pradesh: Enrolment fell from 4.44 crore in 2018-19 to 4.16 crore in 2023-24, a reduction of 28.26 lakh.

Maharashtra: Enrolment decreased from over 2.32 crore in 2018-19 to 2.13 crore in 2023-24, a decline of 18.55 lakh students.

School Infrastructure:

• Over 90% of schools have basic amenities like electricity and gender-specific toilets.
• 57.2% of schools have functional computers.
• 53.9% of schools have internet access.
• 52.3% of schools are equipped with ramps.

Implications

The substantial drop in enrolment raises concerns about the effectiveness of current educational policies and the need for targeted interventions. The data collected through UDISE+ will be crucial in informing future strategies aimed at improving student enrolment and retention rates across various states and demographics.

Summary of the news

Why in News	Key Points
UDISE+ Report 2023-24 Decline in Student Enrolment	– Student enrolment declined to 24.8 crore in 2023-24, a drop of 6% from 26.02 crore in 2018-19.
Decline in Gender-wise Enrolment	– Boys’ enrolment fell from 13.53 crore (2018-19) to 12.87 crore (2023-24), a 4.87% drop.
	– Girls’ enrolment fell from 12.49 crore (2018-19) to 11.93 crore (2023-24), a 4.48% drop.
State-wise Decline in Enrolment	– Bihar: Decline from 2.49 crore (2018-19) to 2.13 crore (2023-24), a decrease of 35.65 lakh students.
	– Uttar Pradesh: Decline from 4.44 crore (2018-19) to 4.16 crore (2023-24), a decrease of 28.26 lakh.
	– Maharashtra: Decline from 2.32 crore (2018-19) to 2.13 crore (2023-24), a decrease of 18.55 lakh.
School Infrastructure Details	– 90% of schools have basic amenities (electricity, gender-specific toilets).
	– 57.2% schools have functional computers.
	– 53.9% schools have internet access.
	– 52.3% schools are equipped with ramps.