UDISE+ Data Reveals Uneven Decline of 18,727 Government Schools Across India
The latest Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) series, recently tabled in the Lok Sabha, has recorded a significant net fall of 18,727 government schools over five academic years. This decline spans from 10,32,049 schools in 2020–21 to 10,13,322 schools in 2024–25. At first glance, this contraction might appear straightforward, but a deeper analysis reveals a more complex, state-driven pattern that challenges simple interpretations.
State-Driven Declines: A Clustered Rather Than Uniform Trend
The year-wise pattern is notably uneven, with significant shifts occurring as single-year corrections followed by plateaus. This suggests that the weight of the decline is concentrated in a handful of states and union territories rather than being spread evenly across India. In policy terms, this clustered, episodic series points towards deliberate decisions such as consolidation, mergers, and administrative clean-up, rather than mere demographic changes.
The data highlights that the top ten states and UTs account for the majority of the decline, with their combined reduction exceeding the national net fall. This indicates that beyond this group, several states have maintained steady or even slightly increased school counts, partially offsetting the overall drop.
Top 10 States and UTs with the Biggest Decline in Government School Count
- Madhya Pradesh: Net decline of 6,902 schools
- Jammu & Kashmir: Net decline of 4,382 schools
- Assam: Net decline of 2,008 schools
- Odisha: Net decline of 1,631 schools
- West Bengal: Net decline of 1,225 schools
- Karnataka: Net decline of 947 schools
- Maharashtra: Net decline of 850 schools
- Himachal Pradesh: Net decline of 666 schools
- Uttarakhand: Net decline of 633 schools
- Arunachal Pradesh: Net decline of 503 schools
Together, these regions recorded a fall of 19,747 schools, which surpasses India's net five-year decline of 18,727. This excess underscores the concentrated nature of the adjustments, revealing that the national headline masks a set of focused state-level interventions.
Analyzing the Five-Year Pattern: Timing and Administrative Decisions
Examining the decline year by year shows that it does not unfold like a gradual tide but rather in distinct pulses. The most significant movement occurs early in the five-year window, with sharp corrections followed by smaller adjustments. This timing suggests administrative resets rather than long-term demographic shifts.
For instance, Madhya Pradesh compressed almost its entire decline into a single moment between 2020–21 and 2021–22, with a drop of over 6,400 schools, after which numbers stabilized. Similarly, Jammu & Kashmir experienced a sharp decline in 2022–23 before flattening out. In contrast, states like Assam and Odisha show gradual declines spread across multiple years, indicating phased consolidation efforts.
Other states, such as West Bengal, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, exhibit slower erosion with small year-on-year reductions that accumulate over time. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh saw sharper corrections towards the end of the period, highlighting how adjustments in smaller systems can have disproportionate impacts on access in hill or border regions.
Implications of a Falling School Count: Beyond the Numbers
A declining government school count does not necessarily equate to vanished classrooms. Instead, it often reflects systemic rearrangements, including:
- Mergers of schools under single administrative units
- Closure or de-notification of very small or empty schools
- Database updates to reflect earlier decisions
This explains why numbers drop sharply in certain years and then plateau. However, the data does not capture the everyday outcomes for students and communities. Mergers can lead to new campuses and improved resources, but they may also involve longer travel distances and disrupted routines. Closures might consolidate students into better-equipped schools or push them farther from educational access.
Thus, the UDISE+ dataset should be viewed as a locator of where the official educational map has been redrawn most sharply, rather than a definitive verdict on the quality or accessibility of education. It underscores the need for nuanced policy analysis that considers both the administrative decisions behind the numbers and their real-world impacts on India's educational landscape.
