UDISE+ 2024–25 Report: Bridging Gaps in India’s School Education
UDISE+ 2024–25 Report: Bridging Gaps in India’s School Education
The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024–25 report, released by the Ministry of Education, provides a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of school education in India. It highlights persistent gaps in infrastructure, digital access, teacher availability, and health facilities, emphasizing the challenges faced in ensuring inclusive and quality education across the country. The report serves as an essential tool for policymakers, educators, and administrators to design interventions targeting the disparities that remain across states and regions.
Education is recognized as a fundamental driver of social and economic development. The UDISE+ 2024–25 report underscores the critical need for targeted efforts to bridge inequalities, improve learning outcomes, and ensure that every child, regardless of geography or socio-economic status, has access to safe and conducive learning environments.
About UDISE+ 2024–25
UDISE+ is an annual data collection and reporting framework that covers school education from Grades I to XII. It encompasses government, aided, and private schools, capturing a broad spectrum of information ranging from physical infrastructure to student demographics, teacher strength, and digital readiness. The system is designed to provide detailed insights into the quality of education and the resources available at the school level.
Specifically, UDISE+ collects data on several key parameters: the presence and condition of infrastructure, including classrooms, laboratories, toilets, and drinking water facilities; student enrolment trends, including gender and social category representation; teacher numbers, qualifications, and training status; digital and ICT readiness; health and sanitation provisions; and the overall learning environment. By analyzing this data, stakeholders can identify areas of deficiency and design targeted interventions for improvement.
Digital Divide in Schools
One of the most significant findings of the 2024–25 report is the persistence of the digital divide across India’s schools. According to the report, approximately 65% of schools possess computers, yet only 58% of these devices are functional, highlighting challenges in maintaining and utilizing ICT infrastructure. Access to the internet is equally uneven, with 63% of schools connected overall. The disparity between government schools (58.6%) and private institutions (77.1%) is particularly stark, reflecting differences in funding, infrastructure management, and digital literacy initiatives.
This digital divide has profound implications for students’ learning opportunities, particularly in an era where digital education and online resources are increasingly integrated into pedagogy. Limited access to functional devices and internet connectivity can hinder students’ ability to engage with modern learning tools, exacerbating educational inequities.
Infrastructure Challenges
While India has made notable progress in improving physical infrastructure, gaps remain that affect the quality and inclusivity of education. The UDISE+ 2024–25 report highlights that 98.6% of schools have functional toilets, 95.9% have hand-wash facilities, and 99% provide drinking water. These figures represent substantial improvements compared to previous years, contributing to better hygiene and learning conditions for students.
Despite these advancements, over 25,000 schools across the country lack functional electricity, which severely impacts both traditional teaching methods and the integration of digital tools. Schools in remote or rural areas, particularly in northern and northeastern states, continue to struggle with inadequate power supply, underscoring the need for sustained infrastructure development.
Enrolment Concerns
While India’s overall enrolment figures are encouraging, certain regions and schools face challenges in maintaining adequate student numbers. The UDISE+ report indicates that 5.1% of schools have fewer than 10 students, and zero-enrolment schools are particularly concentrated in Ladakh (32.2%) and in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand (22%). These trends are indicative of demographic shifts, migration, or accessibility issues that limit students’ ability to attend school regularly.
Such low enrolment not only affects the viability of these institutions but also hampers social cohesion and access to education in sparsely populated or geographically isolated areas. Policymakers must consider context-specific strategies to increase enrolment and retain students in these regions.
Teacher Availability and Training
Teacher availability remains a significant determinant of learning quality. At the primary level, the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) is generally acceptable at 20:1, aligning with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020). However, higher grades reveal concerning shortages: in Jharkhand, the PTR rises to 47:1, while Maharashtra and Odisha report ratios of 37:1. By contrast, the RTE (Right to Education) norm stipulates a 30:1 ratio, and NEP recommends 20–25:1, suggesting that higher classes in several states remain underserved.
Teacher training is another area of focus. Nationally, approximately 91% of teachers have received training, yet there is considerable variation among states. Meghalaya, for instance, reports 72% trained teachers at the primary level and 80% at the upper-primary level, highlighting regional disparities that can affect learning outcomes. Continuous professional development, mentoring programs, and incentives for teachers in underserved areas are critical to address these challenges.
Regional Disparities
The UDISE+ 2024–25 report reveals substantial regional variations in educational facilities and resources. States in the south, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, enjoy near-universal access to toilets and internet connectivity in schools. These states serve as examples of effective planning and resource allocation.
Conversely, eastern and northeastern states lag significantly behind. For instance, West Bengal reports only 18.6% of schools with internet access, and Meghalaya has 26.4% connectivity. Similarly, health-related services, including medical check-ups, are unevenly distributed. While 75.5% of schools nationally provide medical check-ups, Bihar accounts for just 32.7%, and Nagaland 44.9%. These disparities reflect broader socio-economic and administrative challenges that policymakers must address to achieve equitable educational outcomes.
Health and Sanitation Support
The health and wellbeing of students are integral to effective learning. Adequate sanitation facilities, safe drinking water, and access to medical services help reduce absenteeism and improve overall student performance. The report indicates that most schools now have toilets, hand-wash stations, and drinking water, yet challenges persist in remote or resource-constrained areas.
Ensuring consistent and reliable health support, including routine medical check-ups and awareness programs, is particularly important in states where access remains limited. Integration of health education and hygiene practices into school curricula can further enhance the effectiveness of these interventions.
Conclusion
The UDISE+ 2024–25 report provides an in-depth overview of India’s school education landscape, highlighting both progress and persisting gaps. While improvements in infrastructure, sanitation, and enrollment are commendable, critical challenges remain, particularly in terms of digital access, teacher availability, and regional disparities.
To ensure that every child receives equitable and quality education, policymakers must adopt targeted interventions. Bridging the digital divide, addressing teacher shortages, enhancing professional development, and improving health support in schools are key priorities. Moreover, efforts must be context-specific, taking into account the unique challenges of different regions.
The report serves as a valuable tool for guiding reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and supporting India’s commitments to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). By leveraging the insights provided by UDISE+, the government, educators, and civil society can collaborate to create an educational ecosystem that is inclusive, accessible, and conducive to learning for every child in the country.