Telangana, West Bengal account for 70% of 0 enrolment school: Edu Min Data

More than 70 per cent of zero-enrolment schools are concentrated in Telangana and West Bengal, indicating sharp regional disparities in student attendance across the government school network.

Telangana, WB account for 70% of zero enrolment school: Edu Min Data

Beyond zero-enrolment schools, the data points to a sharp rise in institutions with critically low student numbers. (Express photographs by Arul Horizon/ representative)

Over 65,000 government schools across India currently have fewer than 10 students enrolled, while 5,149 institutions reported zero enrolment in 2024–25, according to data released by the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry noted that more than 70 per cent of schools with no students are concentrated in Telangana and West Bengal, underscoring stark regional disparities in attendance across the government school system.

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The figures were shared last week in a written reply to questions raised in the Lok Sabha by MP Karti P Chidambaram and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, based on information compiled through the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+).

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Beyond zero-enrolment schools, the data points to a sharp rise in institutions with critically low student numbers. The tally of government schools with fewer than 10 or no students grew by 24 per cent in just two years, climbing from 52,309 in 2022–23 to 65,054 in 2024–25.

These schools now represent 6.42 per cent of all government schools nationwide, highlighting a widening gap between infrastructure and actual student presence.

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The report further revealed that over 1.44 lakh teachers were posted in schools with fewer than 10 or no students during the same period, raising concerns about staff allocation and resource efficiency at the state level.

The Ministry clarified that education falls under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, with recruitment and deployment of teachers managed by State governments and Union Territory administrations. The Centre, meanwhile, supports States and UTs through the Samagra Shiksha scheme to uphold pupil–teacher ratios and strengthen school infrastructure.