Analysis of UDISEPlus Report 2024-25 per the NEP Structured Phases
Introduction
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 introduced a transformative framework for the Indian education sector, restructuring the school system to align with children’s developmental and educational needs from ages 3 to 18. Departing from the traditional 10+2 model suggested by the Kothari Commission, the new 5+3+3+4 structure focuses on the Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary stages. This article analyses the objectives, coverage, indicators, implications, and distinctive aspects of this restructured model as reflected in the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2024-25 report. Reports for 2022-23 and 2023-24 also align with NEP 2020’s structure.
The analysis compares progress in 2024-25 against 2023-24, based on official UDISE+ reports downloadable from the UDISEPlus website. Key references include:
Analysis of UDISE+ 2024-25 Data by Prof. Arun C Mehta
Compilation of National Highlights of the UDISE+ data, 2021-22 to 2024-25 [PDF]
Computing Un-computed Indicators NEP2020
Analysis of UDISEPlus Reports 2022-23 & 2023-24 per the NEP Structure
For a deeper understanding of the restructured school sector and universalization, refer to Computing the Un-computed Indicators by Prof. Arun C Mehta.
Objectives of the Restructured School Sector
The primary objectives of NEP 2020’s restructured school sector are:
- Universal Participation: Ensure every child is enrolled and attending school, with re-entry opportunities for dropouts.
- Holistic Development: Incorporate Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for ages 3-6 to foster cognitive and socio-emotional development.
- Equity and Inclusion: Address gaps in access, participation, and learning outcomes across social categories, including marginalized communities.
- Learning Outcomes: Enhance outcomes through interactive, age-appropriate pedagogy and robust teacher-student ratios; and
- Data-driven Governance: Transition to student-level data collection for accurate monitoring and targeted interventions.
Coverage
The NEP-aligned structure encompasses:
- Foundational Stage: ECCE and Primary education (ages 3-8).
- Preparatory Stage: Classes 3 to 5 (ages 8-11).
- Middle Stage: Classes 6 to 8 (ages 11-14).
- Secondary Stage: Classes 9 to 12 (ages 14-18).
Indicators Used and Analysed
The UDISE+ 2022-23 to 2024-25 Reports include key indicators:
- Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): Measures enrolment as a percentage of the relevant age group.
- Dropout Rates: Assesses retention and re-entry effectiveness.
- Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR): Evaluates teacher deployment adequacy.
- Infrastructure Availability: Tracks access to facilities like electricity, water, toilets, and internet.
- Equity Measures: Monitors enrolments by gender, social category, and minority status.
Implications for School Education in India
- Enhanced Learning Foundations: ECCE integration ensures a robust educational start.
- Better Equity: 45% OBC students and 48.1% girls indicate inclusive progress.
- Improved Retention: Student-level tracking reduces dropouts and boosts transitions (e.g., Foundational to Preparatory).
- Data-driven Decision-making: Individual data improves governance, aiding schemes like PM POSHAN.
- Infrastructure Improvement: 93.6% schools with electricity and 95.8% with toilets foster conducive environments.
Departure from Traditional Models
The NEP 2020 structure marks a shift:
- ECCE Integration: Includes ages 3-6, unlike the 10+2 model.
- Granular Data: Student-level data enables tailored interventions.
- Stage-specific Focus: Aligns with developmental milestones.
- Comprehensive Indicators: Aadhaar seeding and Educational IDs enhance tracking.
The restructured sector represents a paradigm shift toward holistic, equitable, and quality education.
Comparative Analysis of Key Indicators
1. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): 2022-23 to 2024-25
GER measures enrolment as a percentage of the corresponding age group. For more, see Decoding UDISE+ 2021-22 Enrolment Ratios under Samagra Shiksha by Prof. Arun C Mehta.
| Phase | GER (2022-23) | GER (2023-24) | GER (2024-25) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational | 41.9% | 41.5% | 41.4% | Stagnant and low GER (~41%), far from 100%. Significant efforts needed for early childhood education access by 2030. |
| Preparatory | 96.9% | 96.5% | 95.4% | High GER but slight decline. Close to universal enrollment; marginal drop needs attention. |
| Middle | 90.0% | 89.5% | 90.3% | Stable GER (~90%), but 10% gap remains. Incremental progress needed by 2030. |
| Secondary | 57.1% | 66.5% | 68.5% | Notable 11.4% increase over two years. Significant 31% gap to universal enrollment by 2030. |
Preparatory and Middle phases are near universal (95.4% and 90.3%), but Foundational (41.4%) and Secondary (68.5%) lag, undermining NEP’s vision. Socioeconomic factors, infrastructure gaps, and data issues contribute. A ~12% annual increase for Foundational and ~6% for Secondary are needed by 2030.
2. Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) by Phases
| Phase | NER (2023-24) | NER (2024-25) | Adjusted NER (2024-25) | Age-Specific ER (2023-24) | Age-Specific ER (2024-25) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational | 37.8% | 36.9% | 46.1% | 47.3% | 46.1% | Declining NER and Age-Specific ER (~36.9–46.1%). Urgent expansion of early education needed. |
| Preparatory | 71.4% | 68.8% | 86.1% | 95.4% | 93.1% | Declining NER and Age-Specific ER, but higher Adjusted NER (86.1%). Needs retention focus. |
| Middle | 64.4% | 64.8% | 81.4% | 88.5% | 91.1% | Slight NER increase, strong Age-Specific ER growth (91.1%). ~9% gap remains. |
| Secondary | 50.9% | 52.2% | 52.2% | 56.4% | 58.8% | Modest gains (~2–3% increase). Large 41% gap to 100% by 2030. |
Mixed progress toward NEP 2020’s universal enrollment goal. Preparatory (93.1%) and Middle (91.1%) are close to 100% Age-Specific ER, but declines in Preparatory need attention. Foundational (46.1%) and Secondary (58.8%) require phase-specific interventions.
3. Dropout Rates
Dropout rates reflect retention challenges. See Does UDISE+ Underestimate Dropout Rates by Prof. Arun C Mehta for computation details.
| Phase | Dropout Rate (2022-23) | Dropout Rate (2023-24) | Dropout Rate (2024-25) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational | N/A | N/A | N/A | Dropout not reported; high retention (98.9%) suggests low dropout. |
| Preparatory | 8.7% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 73.6% reduction since 2022-23. Strong retention; sustain to reach 0% by 2030. |
| Middle | 8.1% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 56.8% drop since 2022-23. Progress aligns with NEP; address 3.5% gap. |
| Secondary | 13.8% | 10.9% | 8.2% | 40.6% reduction. Highest among phases; urgent interventions needed. |
Encouraging declines, but Secondary’s 8.2% dropout rate requires targeted actions to achieve near-zero by 2030.
4. Transition Rates
Transition rates reflect movement between phases. See Transition Rates in School Education in India by Prof. Arun C Mehta.
| Transition Phase | Rate (2022-23) | Rate (2023-24) | Rate (2024-25) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational to Preparatory | 92.2% | 98.1% | 98.6% | Slight increase due to robust ECCE focus. |
| Preparatory to Middle | 87.9% | 88.8% | 92.2% | Improved retention strategies. |
| Middle to Secondary | 86.7% | 83.3% | 86.6% | Negative trend reversed; room for improvement. |
5. Infrastructure Availability
| Infrastructure Element | % Availability (2022-23) | % Availability (2023-24) | % Availability (2024-25) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 91.7% | 91.8% | 93.6% | Consistent upgrades across schools. |
| Functional Toilets | 98.6% | 95.7% | 95.8% | Near-universal access achieved. |
| Drinking Water | 98.4% | 98.3% | 99.0% | Continued focus on clean water access. |
6. Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR)
| Phase | PTR (2022-23) | PTR (2023-24) | PTR (2024-25) | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational | 11:1 | 10:1 | 10:1 | Better PTR within RTE norms. |
| Preparatory | 14:1 | 18:1 | 13:1 | Maintained optimal levels. |
| Middle | 18:1 | 13:1 | 17:1 | Improvement reduces teacher load. |
| Secondary | 23:1 | 21:1 | 21:1 | Gradual progress towards NEP recommendations. |
Analysis of Trends
- Enrolment Growth: Foundational stage shows growth due to ECCE integration. Secondary participation rises with reduced dropouts.
- Retention Improvement: Decreasing dropout rates, especially in Preparatory and Middle phases, reflect effective schemes like scholarships and mid-day meals.
- Enhanced Infrastructure: Improved electricity, toilets, and playgrounds create conducive learning environments.
- Teacher Deployment: PTR improvements support NEP 2020 goals, particularly in Middle and Secondary stages.
Concluding Observations
The UDISE+ 2024-25 report, released on August 28, 2025, by the Ministry of Education, marks a pivotal milestone in India’s journey toward realizing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of universal, equitable, and holistic school education by 2030. By aligning data collection with the 5+3+3+4 structure – encompassing Foundational (ages 3-8), Preparatory (ages 8-11), Middle (ages 11-14), and Secondary (ages 14-18) stages – the report provides student-level insights that surpass the limitations of the traditional 10+2 model. This shift to individual tracking, including voluntary Aadhaar seeding for over 197 million students, enhances data accuracy, reduces duplicates, and enables targeted interventions, fostering data-driven governance as emphasized in NEP 2020. Key trends underscore notable progress amid persistent challenges:
- Enrollment and Universal Access: Gross Enrollment Ratios (GER) reveal a mixed landscape. Preparatory (95.4%) and Middle (90.3%) phases are nearing universality, reflecting effective primary and upper-primary retention strategies. Secondary GER has improved to 68.5% (up 11.4% since 2022-23), driven by expanded school access and vocational integration. However, the Foundational stage remains stagnant at 41.4%, highlighting a critical gap in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) coverage – essential for cognitive foundations. Net Enrollment Ratios (NER) and Age-Specific ERs corroborate this, with Foundational at 36.9–46.1% and Secondary at 52.2–58.8%, indicating socioeconomic barriers, rural-urban divides, and potential data inconsistencies. Overall enrollment dipped to 24.08 crore in 2024-25 from 24.80 crore in 2023-24, partly due to refined data methodologies and rising home-schooling preferences, but this underscores the need for intensified outreach to achieve 100% GER across phases.
- Retention and Dropout Reduction: Dropout rates have declined encouragingly—Preparatory (2.3%, 73.6% reduction since 2022-23), Middle (3.5%, 56.8% drop), and Secondary (8.2%, 40.6% decrease) – bolstered by schemes like PM POSHAN and scholarships. Retention rates rose to 98.9% (Foundational), 92.4% (Preparatory), 82.8% (Middle), and 47.2% (Secondary), with transition rates improving (e.g., Preparatory to Middle at 92.2%, Middle to Secondary at 86.6%). These gains signal the efficacy of NEP’s equity focus, with girls comprising 48.1% of enrolees and OBC students at 45%. Yet, Secondary’s higher dropout (8.2%) persists due to economic pressures, early marriages, and limited facilities, risking the universalization goal.
- Infrastructure and Resources: Basic amenities are near-universal: 93.6% schools have electricity (up from 91.8%), 95.8% have functional toilets, and 99.0% have drinking water. Digital access has surged (64.7% with computers/internet, up from 57.2%), supporting NEP’s technology integration. Zero-enrollment schools fell 38% to 7,993, and single-teacher schools dropped 6% to 104,125, indicating rationalized resource allocation. Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTR) have improved to 10:1 (Foundational), 13:1 (Preparatory), 17:1 (Middle), and 21:1 (Secondary)—all below NEP’s 1:30 benchmark – thanks to teacher numbers exceeding one crore for the first time (up 6.7% from 2022-23). These enhancements create conducive environments, particularly for marginalized groups (e.g., 15.8% Muslim students, 20% minorities overall).
- Equity and Inclusion: The report highlights strides in social equity, with 50% enrollment in government schools, 41% in private, and 9% in aided institutions. Gender parity is advancing (48.1% girls), and social category data (e.g., SC/ST/OBC representation) shows inclusive progress. However, disparities in Foundational and Secondary phases – exacerbated by regional variations (e.g., higher rural dropouts) – demand targeted affirmative actions.
The 2024-25 UDISE+ data reflects NEP 2020’s transformative impact: a paradigm shift from rigid structures to developmental stages, with declining dropouts, better infrastructure, and optimized teacher deployment advancing holistic development. Initial successes, such as near-universal basic facilities and improved transitions, position India closer to SDG 4 and universal education. Nevertheless, foundational stagnation and secondary gaps—potentially affecting millions – pose risks, amplified by enrollment dips and data challenges. With just five years to 2030, aggressive, phase-specific strategies are imperative: scaling ECCE via anganwadis and preschools; bolstering secondary access through vocational programs and incentives; addressing socioeconomic barriers for girls and minorities; and enhancing UDISE+ data dissemination for real-time monitoring. Sustained investments (e.g., Rs. 37,010 crore budgeted for Samagra Shiksha in 2024-25) and multi-stakeholder collaboration will be crucial to bridge these divides, ensuring every child from ages 3-18 thrives in an inclusive, quality education ecosystem.
