The Highlight of UDISE+ 2021-22 Data at the All India Level

Welcome to the UDISE+ data highlights for 2021-22. In this note, we present a brief analysis of UDISE+ 2021-22 data on several schools, teachers, infrastructure, enrolment, GPI, enrolment ratios, dropout, and transition rate and compare the same with 2020-21. It may be observed that as of today, i.e., May 20th, 2023, UDISE 2021-22 is the latest data available in the public domain, and the same is released by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.

UDISE+ 2020-21 & 2021-22 indicators at All-India Level

Samagra Shiksha India Report Card: 2021-22

First, below we discuss the projected child population, which is reported in the Ministry’s UDISE+ 2021-22 Booklet.

  1. Projected Child Population

According to the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the population projection for different age groups has changed slightly compared to last year’s data. In absolute terms, the total population aged between 3 to 17 years in 2021-22 is projected to be 373,064,933, an increase of about 2.6 million from the previous year (370,426,000). In percentage terms, these changes represent relatively small increases across different age groups compared to last year’s data. Overall these data suggest that there has been a slight increase in the projected population across different age groups compared to last year’s data.

  • The total population aged between 6 to 17 years in 2021-22 is projected to be 288,549,200, an increase of about 2.1 million from the previous year (286,464,000).
  • The total population aged between 3 to 5 years in 2021-22 is projected to be 84,515,733, an increase of about 553 thousand from the previous year (83,962,000).
  • The total population aged between 11 to 13 years in 2021-22 is projected to be 71.44 million, an increase of about 0.89 million from the previous year (70.55 million).
  • The total population aged between 14 to 15 years in 2021-22 is projected to be 48.90 million, an increase of about 0.48 million from the previous year (48.42 million).
  • The total population aged between 16 to 17 years in 2021-22 is projected to be 50.05 million, an increase of about 0.41 million from the previous year (49.64 million).

Overall these data suggest that there has been a slight increase in the projected population across different age groups compared to last year’s data. However, it may be observed that these projections are subject to change and may not accurately reflect actual demographic trends over time. UDISE+ 2021-22 child projections are based on the Expert Committee (2020) set up by the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, the only official projection available based on the 2011 Census.

  1. Number of Schools

According to the UDISE+ data for 2021-22, the total number of schools in India is 14,89,115. This is a decrease from the previous year, which had 15,09,136 schools. Therefore, there are fewer schools in India this year than last year. Table 1 provides a breakdown of schools by management. The data shows that there are 10,22,386 government schools and 82,480 government-aided schools, which comprise the majority of schools in India. The number of government schools has decreased from the previous year, while the number of government-aided schools has increased slightly. In contrast, private unaided recognized schools have decreased from 3,43,314 to 3,35,844 this year.

According to Table 1, the total number of schools in India has decreased by 1.33 percent from the previous year. Regarding management, the number of government schools has decreased by 0.97 percent, while the number of government-aided schools has increased by 0.10 percent. The number of private unaided, recognized schools has decreased by 2.19 percent. UDISE+ data for 2021-22 shows that the number of Other Central Government schools has decreased by 14.56 percent from the previous year, while the number of State Government schools has decreased by 0.95 percent. The number of Recognized Madarsa has increased by 1.75 percent, and the number of Other Schools, including unrecognized private schools, has decreased by 12.16 percent.

  1. Schools by Management

According to Table 1, the UDISE+ data for 2021-22 shows a decrease in the number of schools under government, private aided, and unaided categories from the previous year. The total number of government schools is 10,22,386, a decrease of 0.95 percent from the previous year. The total number of government-aided schools is 82,480, an increase of 1.00 percent from the previous year. The total number of private unaided recognized schools is 3,35,844, a decrease of 2.19 percent from the previous year. There has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided schools by around 0.25 percent and 0.23 percent, respectively.

In comparison, there has been a slight decrease in enrolment for private unaided, recognized schools by -0.91 percent. Overall, the data shows that there has been a slight decrease in the number of schools under all categories except government-aided schools, which increased slightly by around 1 percent. However, enrolment in government and government-aided schools has increased slightly while enrolment in private unaided recognized schools has decreased slightly by around -0.91 percent.r One may observe erratic trends in the number of schools covered under UDISE from 2018-19 to 2021-22, on which the UDISE 2021-22 Booklet brought out by the MoE is silent.

III.      Infrastructure in Schools

According to the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the school infrastructure facilities have improved slightly compared to last year’s data. The percentage of schools with electricity connection increased from 86.90 percent in 2020-21 to 89.34 percent in 2021-22. Similarly, the percentage of schools with drinking water facilities increased from 97.45 percent in 2020-21 to 98.22 percent in 2021-22.

The percentage of schools having toilet facilities has also increased from 98.49 percent in 2020-21 to 98.71 percent in 2021-22, with both boys’ and girls’ toilet facilities showing a slight increase. The percentage of schools with hand wash facilities increased from 91.99 percent in 2020-21 to 93.64 percent in 2021-22. However, there has been only a slight increase (from 75.76 percent to 76 percent) in the percentage of schools having playground facilities compared to last year’s data.

Overall, these data suggest that while there have been some improvements in infrastructure facilities across different levels of education compared to last year’s data, efforts may need to be focused on ensuring that all schools have access to basic infrastructure facilities such as electricity, drinking water, toilets, and playgrounds which are essential for providing quality education opportunities for students. In addition, inadequate digital infrastructure (computer/laptops, internet connectivity, etc.) must be made available to all schools, which shall help better manage the Online UDISEplus portal.

  1. Number of Teachers teachers parameters

According to the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, there were 9,506,123 teachers in India during the academic year 2021-22. Out of these, most teachers were employed in state government schools, with 4,824,238 teachers. The number of teachers in government schools was slightly higher than that in private unaided recognized schools, with 4,882,446 teachers and 3,540,647 teachers, respectively.

Regarding central government schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) had a total of 39,596 teachers, while Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) had 12,270 teachers. Other central government schools had a total of 6,342 teachers. The data also shows 796,631 teachers in government-aided schools during the academic year 2021-22. Overall, the data indicate that most teachers are employed in state government schools, and there are slightly more teachers in government schools than in private unaided recognized schools. Additionally, Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas have relatively fewer teachers than other types of schools.

Further, the percentage of total teachers by management is as follows: – State Government schools: 50.85 percent – Government schools: 51.36 percent – Private Unaided Recognized schools: 37.24 percent – Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs): 0.41 percent – Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs): 0.13 percent – Other Central Government schools: 0.07 percent – Government Aided schools: 8.42 percent These percentages indicate the proportion of total teachers employed in each type of school management to the total number of teachers in India during the academic year 2021-22, which was 9,506,123.

IV (a).          Pupil-Teacher Ratio

According to Table 1 of the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) varies across different levels of education.

At the primary level, the PTR in 2021-22 was 26.17, which is slightly lower than that in the previous year (26.25). Similarly, at the upper primary level, the PTR in 2021-22 was 19.45, which is slightly higher than that in the previous year (18.86). However, there has been a significant decrease in PTR at the secondary level compared to last year’s data.

In 2020-21, the PTR at secondary level was 18.44, while in 2021-22, it decreased to 17.60. There has been a slight increase in PTR at the higher secondary level compared to last year’s data. In 2020-21, the PTR at the higher secondary level was 26.27, while in 2021-22, it increased slightly to 27.08.

The data suggest that while there have been some changes in PTR across different levels of education compared to last year’s data, efforts may need to be focused on reducing PTR at upper primary and higher secondary levels and ensuring that students have access to quality education opportunities with adequate teacher-student ratios at all levels of education.

  1. Enrolment at different levels and compare it and provide

According to the UDISE+ data for 2021-22, the total enrolment in India from pre-primary to higher secondary level is 26,52,35,830. This is an increase of 0.31 percent from the previous year, which had 26,44,49,987 enrolments. In absolute terms, there are around 7,85,843 more enrolments this year than last year. In terms of different levels, the data shows that there has been an increase in enrolment at primary and upper primary levels by 0.39 percent and 0.47 percent, respectively. However, there has been a slight decrease in enrolment at elementary (-0.11 percent), secondary (-0.43 percent), and higher secondary (-0.12 percent) levels. Overall, the increase in total enrolment is relatively small at just 0.31 percent, but it still represents a significant number of additional students (around 7,85,843).the same for boys and girls

UDISE+ data for 2021-22 data further reveals that the number of girl students enrolled in schools from pre-primary to higher secondary level is 12,28,91,568, while the number of boy students is 13,28,49,055. Compared to 2020-21, there has been an increase of 0.67 percent in the number of girl students and a slight decrease of -0.09 percent in the number of boys. In absolute terms, there are around 8,19,937 more girl students this year compared to last year, while there are around 11,87,75 fewer boy students.

At different levels, there has been an increase in enrolment for girls at primary and upper primary levels by 0.77 percent and 0.85 percent, respectively. However, there has been a slight decrease in enrolment for girls at elementary (-0.11 percent), secondary (-0.47 percent), and higher secondary (-0.12 percent) levels. For boys, there has been an increase in enrolment at primary and upper primary levels by 0.02 percent and 0.23 percent, respectively. However, there has been a decrease in enrolment at elementary (-0.10 percent), secondary (-0.39 percent), and higher secondary (-0.14 percent) levels.

The UDISEplus data shows that there has been an increase in enrolment for girls at primary and upper primary levels. In contrast, enrolment for boys has remained relatively stable or decreased slightly across all levels except the upper primary level, where it increased slightly by 0.23 percent.ST minority enrolment

The UDISE+ data for 2021-22 further shows that there has been an increase in enrolment for SC, ST, OBC, and Muslim minority students from pre-primary to higher secondary level. The number of SC students enrolled in schools is 4,82,95,803, an increase of 0.99 percent from the previous year.

The number of ST students enrolled in schools is 2,51,07,950, an increase of 0.85 percent from the previous year. The number of OBC students enrolled in schools is 11,48,86,642, an increase of 1.21 percent from the previous year. The number of Muslim minority students enrolled in schools is 3,65,91,868, an increase of 1.07 percent from the previous year. Regarding different levels, there has been an increase in enrolment for SC and OBC students at primary and upper primary levels by around 1 percent.

For ST and Muslim minority students, there has been a slight decrease or no change at the primary level but a significant increase at the upper primary level by around 2 percent. However, there has been a slight decrease or no change in enrolment for all these categories at elementary (-0.11 percent), secondary (-0.43 percent), and higher secondary (-0.12 percent) levels. Overall, the data shows that there has been an increase in enrolment for SC, ST, OBC, and Muslim minority students at primary and upper primary levels but a slight decrease or no change at elementary (-0.11 percent), secondary (-0.43 percent), and higher secondary (-0.12 percent) levels across all categories except upper primary level where there was a significant increase for ST and Muslim minority students by around 2 percent.

IV (a). Enrolment by Level & Management 

According to the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, there has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided schools at primary and upper primary levels by around 0.77 percent and 0.85 percent, respectively, while there has been a slight decrease in enrolment for private unaided recognized schools across all levels except upper primary level where it increased slightly by around -0.91 percent.

Regarding management, the total number of enrolments in government schools is 19,12,76,947, an increase of 0.25 percent from the previous year. The total number of enrolments in government-aided schools is 2,32,38,684, an increase of 0.23 percent from the previous year.

The total number of enrolments in private unaided, recognized schools is 88,089,385, which is a decrease of 6.38 percent from the previous year.

  • At the primary level, there has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided schools by around 1.05 percent and 1.08 percent, respectively. In comparison, there has been a slight decrease in private unaided recognized schools by around -2.11 percent.
  • At the upper primary level, there has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided schools by around 1.02 percent and 1.06 percent, respectively, against a slight increase in enrolment for private unaided recognized schools by around 0.09 percent.
  • At the elementary level, there has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided schools by around 0.81 percent and 0.83 percent, respectively. In comparison, there has been a decrease in enrolment for private unaided recognized schools by around -3.16 percent.
  • At the secondary level, there has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided schools by around 0.22 percent and 0.20 percent, respectively. In comparison, there has been a decrease in enrolment for private unaided recognized schools by around -2.68 percent.
  • At the higher secondary level, there has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided schools by around 1.06 percent and 1.08 percent, respectively. In comparison, there has been a decrease in enrolment for private unaided recognized schools by around -3.05 percent.

Overall, the data shows that there has been an increase in enrolment for government and government-aided management.

  1. Gender Parity Index

According to the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the Gender Parity Index (GPI) varies across different levels of education. At the primary level, the GPI for all categories in 2021-22 was 1.03, slightly higher than that in the previous year (1.02). Similarly, at the upper primary level, the GPI for all categories in 2021-22 was 1.00, slightly lower than that in the previous year (1.01).

There has been a slight increase in GPI at the secondary level compared to last year’s data. In 2020-21, the GPI for all categories at the secondary level was 0.99, while in 2021-22, it increased slightly to 1.00. However, GPI has slightly decreased for all categories at the higher secondary level compared to last year’s data. In 2020-21, the GPI for all categories at the higher secondary level was 1.03; in 2021-22, it decreased slightly to 1.02.

Overall, these data suggest that while there have been some changes in GPI across different levels of education compared to last year’s data, efforts may need to be focused on ensuring gender parity and equal access to education opportunities for boys and girls across all levels of education.

  1. Gross Enrolment Ratio

According to the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for all categories has increased slightly from the previous academic year. The GER measures the total enrolment in a particular level of education, expressed as a percentage of the corresponding school age group population in that level.

At the primary level, the GER for all categories increased from 103.3 percent in 2020-21 to 103.39 percent in 2021-22. Similarly, at the upper primary level, the GER for all categories increased from 92.2 percent in 2020-21 to 94 percent in 2021-22. However, at the secondary and higher secondary levels, there is only a slight increase or no change in GER for all categories compared to the previous academic year. For example, at the secondary level, the GER for all categories increased slightly from 79.8 percent in 2020-21 to 79.56 percent in 2021-22.

Overall, while there has been a slight increase in GER for primary and upper primary levels compared to last year’s data, there has been little or no change at higher levels of education. This suggests that efforts may need to be focused on improving enrolment rates at higher levels of education to ensure that more students can access and complete their education beyond primary and upper primary levels.

VI (a) Enrolment Ratio by SC & ST Population

According to Table 1, the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) varies across different levels of education.

  • At the primary level, the GER for SC students is higher than that for ST students. In 2021-22, the GER for SC students at the primary level was 113.1 percent, while that for ST students was 106.5 percent.
  • Similarly, at the upper primary level, the GER for SC students was higher than that for ST students. In 2021-22, the GER for SC students at the upper primary level was 103.79 percent, while that for ST students was 97.95 percent.
  • However, at the elementary and secondary levels, the GER for ST students is higher than that for SC students. For example, at the elementary level in 2021-22, the GER for ST students was 103.35 percent, while that for SC students was 109.66 percent.
  • Similarly, at the secondary level in 2021-22, the GER for ST students was 78.06 percent, while that for SC students was slightly higher at 84.91 percent. At the higher secondary level in 2021-22, both SC and ST categories have shown an increase in their respective GERs compared to last year’s data, with a significant increase in GER of Higher Secondary education among Scheduled Castes.

Overall, these data suggest variations in enrolment rates between different categories of disadvantaged groups across different levels of education. While enrolment rates are generally high at primary and upper primary levels among both SC and ST categories, with a slight advantage to the Scheduled Castes category but there is a need to focus on improving enrolment rates at higher levels of education among both categories to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities across all sections of society.

VII.     Dropout Rate

According to Table 1, the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the dropout rates for all categories vary across different levels of education.

At the primary level, the dropout rate is 0.8 percent, which is lower than that at the upper primary level (1.9 percent) and secondary level (14.6 percent). This suggests that students are more likely to drop out of school at higher levels of education. However, it is worth noting that there has been a slight decrease in dropout rates at the secondary level compared to last year’s data. In 2020-21, the dropout rate for all categories at the secondary level was 12.61 percent, while in 2021-22, it decreased to 12.61 percent.

Efforts may need to be focused on reducing dropout rates and improving transition rates between different levels of education to ensure that more students can access and complete their education beyond primary and upper primary levels.

VIII.    Transition Rates

According to Table 1 of the UDISE+ report for 2021-22, the transition rates for all categories vary across different levels of education.

At the primary level, the transition rate to the upper primary level is high at 92.1 percent, which suggests that most students can transition from primary to upper primary level successfully. Similarly, the transition rate to the secondary level is high at 91.3 percent at the upper primary level. However, there has been a slight decrease in transition rates from secondary to higher secondary levels compared to last year’s data. In 2020-21, the transition rate for all categories from secondary to higher secondary level was 78.41 percent, while in 2021-22, it decreased slightly to 78.41 percent.

It is essential to observe that there has been a slight increase in transition rates from primary to upper primary and from upper primary to secondary levels compared to last year’s data.

Overall, these data suggest that while most students can transition between different levels of education successfully, there is still scope for improvement in ensuring that more students can access and complete their education beyond primary and upper primary levels. Efforts may need to be focused on improving transition rates from secondary to higher secondary levels and ensuring that students have access to quality education opportunities at all levels.

Concluding Observations

The UDISEPlus 2021-22 analyzed in the present article beyond doubt reveals that the goal of school education for all is still far distant, even though impressive progress is made in all aspects of school education. Concerted efforts focusing on decentralized planning are the need of the day.

Education for All in India