School Dropout Rate: UDISE+ 2025–26 and Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0

Context

Recently, the Ministry of Education released the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2025–26 and Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 reports. The findings highlight improvements in school access, student retention, teacher availability, and infrastructure, while underscoring the need to strengthen learning outcomes and reduce regional disparities.

About the Reports

Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+)

1. UDISE+ is the Government of India’s official digital database for school education, maintained by the Ministry of Education.
2. It provides real-time information on student enrolment, teacher profile, school infrastructure, basic facilities, and the learning environment.
3. The database is updated through data submitted by schools with valid UDISE+ codes.

Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0

1. PGI 2.0 evaluates the performance of States and Union Territories in school education.
2. It assesses six domains:

1. 1. Learning Outcomes
   2. Access
   3. Infrastructure and Facilities
   4. Equity
   5. Governance Process
   6. Teacher Education and Training

1. States and UTs are evaluated under a 10-tier grading framework based on their overall performance.

Key Findings

1. Educational Access and Retention

1. School dropout rates declined at both the preparatory and secondary stages in 2025–26.

1. 1. Preparatory stage: 2.3% → 1.8%
   2. Secondary stage: 8.2% → 7.0%

1. Ladakh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka recorded the highest dropout rates at the secondary level.
2. Student retention improved at the middle and secondary stages, while the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the secondary level increased from 68.5% to 71.7%, reflecting better participation and continuity in schooling.
3. However, retention at the foundational and preparatory stages witnessed a marginal decline after three consecutive years of improvement.
4. Despite overall progress, only about half of the students enrolled in Class I complete Class XII, indicating continued attrition at higher stages.
5. These trends reflect the impact of expanded secondary schooling, improved accessibility, targeted interventions, and a more supportive school environment.

2. Teachers and School Infrastructure

1. The number of school teachers crossed 1.02 crore for the first time, registering an 8.3% increase over 2022–23.
2. Women account for 54.9% of the teaching workforce.
3. Pupil–Teacher Ratios (PTRs) remained well below the NEP 2020 benchmark of 30:1:

1. 1. Foundational – 10
   2. Preparatory – 12
   3. Middle – 17
   4. Secondary – 21

1. School rationalisation continued with:

1. 1. Zero-enrolment schools declining by 29% to 5,663.
   2. Single-teacher schools reducing by 3% to 100,843.

1. Girls constituted 48.4% of total enrolment, indicating near gender parity in school education.

3. Digital and Inclusive Education

1. School infrastructure continued to improve, with near-universal availability of basic facilities:

1. 1. Safe drinking water – 99.5%
   2. Girls’ toilets – 98.5%
   3. Boys’ toilets – 97.2%
   4. Grid electricity – 95%

1. Digital readiness also strengthened:

1. 1. Computer access increased from 64.7% to 69.9%.
   2. Internet connectivity improved from 63.5% to 67.4%.

1. Schools equipped with ramps and handrails increased from 54.9% to 58.2%, improving accessibility for children with disabilities.
2. However, playground availability declined from 83% to 81.9%, highlighting the need to strengthen sports infrastructure.

4. Enrolment Profile

1. Minority communities accounted for over 20% of total enrolment.
2. Among minority students:

1. 1. Muslims – 79.4%
   2. Christians – 10.1%
   3. Sikhs – 7.1%
   4. Buddhists – 2.0%
   5. Jains – 1.3%
   6. Parsis – 0.1%

1. Social category-wise enrolment:

1. 1. OBC – 44.9%
   2. General – 27.5%
   3. SC – 17.7%
   4. ST – 10%

Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 Highlights

Performance of States and Union Territories

1. No State or Union Territory secured any of the top three grades, indicating considerable scope for improving school education outcomes.
2. Chandigarh emerged as the highest performer by attaining the ‘Uttam-3’ grade.
3. Delhi, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Kerala, and Punjab were placed in the ‘Prachesta-1’ category, while Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Lakshadweep featured in ‘Prachesta-2’.
4. Most remaining States and UTs fell under the ‘Prachesta-3’ and ‘Akanshi-1’ categories. The Akanshi category included Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Meghalaya.
5. Punjab led in Learning Outcomes; Kerala and Puducherry in Access; Tamil Nadu in Equity; and Kerala and Lakshadweep jointly topped Teacher Education and Training.
6. Compared with 2024–25, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, and Uttarakhand recorded a decline in PGI scores.

7. The performance gap between the highest-scoring (Chandigarh) and lowest-scoring (Meghalaya) State/UT narrowed from 51% (2017–18) to 31.4%, indicating gradual reduction in inter-state disparities.

Significance

1. The reports indicate steady progress in improving school access, retention, teacher availability, and infrastructure, supporting the objectives of NEP 2020.
2. Improved Pupil–Teacher Ratios, better digital infrastructure, and enhanced accessibility are expected to strengthen the quality and inclusiveness of school education.
3. The narrowing inter-state performance gap reflects gradual improvements in educational governance and performance monitoring.
4. At the same time, persistent dropout at the secondary stage and uneven learning outcomes highlight the need for sustained policy interventions.

Challenges and Way Forward

Conclusion

The UDISE+ 2025–26 and PGI 2.0 reports reflect encouraging progress in expanding educational access, improving school infrastructure, and strengthening institutional capacity. However, achieving the objectives of NEP 2020 and SDG 4 (Quality Education) will require sustained efforts to improve learning outcomes, reduce regional disparities, strengthen secondary-level retention, and ensure equitable access to quality education.