Number of Muslim Children Dropped-out between 2020-21 & 2021-22 in India

Based on UDISEPlus 2020-21 and 2021-22 grade-wise enrolment and repeaters data, an attempt has also been made to compute the number of dropped-out boys and girls at primary, upper primary, elementary, and secondary levels of education, presented in the Table 26A reveals that a large number of Muslim students dropped-out from the system before the completion of an educational level.

The numbers further reveal that while fewer girls dropped out at the primary level of education, the same is not valid for the upper primary level. At the secondary level of education also, more girls (51.65 percent) dropped out than boys (48.35 percent). The data further reveals that 21,16,832 Muslim students dropped out in primary, upper primary, and secondary levels, of which 56.33 percent (11,92,536) dropped out in elementary classes.

In elementary classes, more boys (52.22 percent) dropped-out than girls (47.78 percent), and the difference between the two is enormous and might have severe implications for Muslims to attain the status of elementary education for all and need quick action to check the high incidence of dropouts.

 Table 26A: Number of Muslim Children Dropped-out between 2020-21 & 2021-22

Primary Level
Parameter	Boys	Girls	Total
Number Dropped out	3,63,692	2,99,825	6,63,517
%age	54.81	45.19	100.00
Upper Primary Level
	Boys	Girls	Total
Number Dropped out	2,59,075	2,69,944	5,29,019
%age	48.97	51.03	100.00
Elementary Level
	Boys	Girls	Total
Number Dropped out	6,22,767	5,69,769	11,92,536
%age	52.22	47.78	100.00
Secondary Level
	Boys	Girls	Total
Number Dropped out	4,46,886	4,77,410	9,24,296
%age	48.35	51.65	100.00

 

 

 

The state-specific number of Muslim children who dropped out presented in Table 26B reveals that at least eight states have more than 100 thousand students who dropped out in elementary and secondary classes between 2020-21 and 2021-22, which is considered huge. Large states, such as Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, are crucial for India to attain the status of universal school education by 2030, as envisaged in NEP 2020 falls into such states.

However, in a few states, the number of Muslim girls students dropped out is slightly lower than their boys counterparts. In West Bengal (1,20,936 students), Assam (2,60,343 students), and Uttar Pradesh (4,01,214 students) massive number of Muslim students, both boys and girls, dropped out before the completion of elementary level deserves quick action. While formulating annual plans under the flagship Samagra Shiksha, the massive number of Muslim children dropping out of the system must be prioritized, and initiate appropriate initiatives.

 Table 26B: Number of Muslim Children Dropped-out between 2020-21 & 2021-22

State/UT	Primary	Upper Primary	Elementary	Secondary	Primary to Secondary
Telangana	13,429	20,410	33,839	16,985	84,663
Gujarat	7,113	27,065	34,178	37,679	1,06,035
Jammu & Kashmir	28,438	8,629	37,067	10,366	84,500
Jharkhand	13,448	23,753	37,201	14,095	88,497
Bihar	-38,572	76,005	37,433	99,601	1,74,467
Maharashtra	20,011	40,612	60,623	91,877	2,13,123
Andhra Pradesh	37,019	37,476	74,495	37,451	1,86,441
Rajasthan	57,333	34,507	91,840	30,984	2,14,664
West Bengal	1,59,497	-38,561	1,20,936	2,03,579	4,45,451
Assam	1,35,536	1,24,807	2,60,343	1,00,537	6,21,223
Uttar Pradesh	2,72,787	1,28,427	4,01,214	1,03,361	9,05,789
All India	6,63,517	5,29,019	11,92,536	9,24,296	33,09,368

More than the dropout rates, the transition rate from one to another level of education also plays a crucial role in moving toward school education for all.

	Table: Number of Muslim Students Dropped out (Between 2020-21 & 2021-22) at Different Levels of School Education: 2021-22
State/UT		Primary Level				Upper Primary Level					Elementary Level			Secondary Level
		Boys	Girls	Total	Boys		Girls		Total	Boys		Girls	Total	Boys	Girls	Total
Andaman & Nicobar Islands		126	61	187	2		13		15	128		74	202	40	50	90
Andhra Pradesh		20,725	16,294	37,019	19,915		17,561		37,476	40,640		33,855	74,495	19,631	17,820	37,451
Arunachal Pradesh		138	131	269	103		231		334	241		362	603	75	104	179
Assam		80,133	55,403	1,35,536	67,644		57,163		1,24,807	1,47,777		1,12,566	2,60,343	41,715	58,822	1,00,537
Bihar		-22,151	-16,421	-38,572	31,628		44,377		76,005	9,477		27,956	37,433	41,990	57,611	99,601
Chandigarh		-343	-184	-527	-19		-9		-28	-362		-193	-555	233	169	402
Chhattisgarh		1,739	1,808	3,547	1,543		1,008		2,551	3,282		2,816	6,098	846	778	1,624
Dadra & Nagar Haveli		1	82	83	35		48		83	36		130	166	140	111	251
Delhi		-11,787	-10,347	-22,134	408		-39		369	-11,379		-10,386	-21,765	7,109	5,157	12,266
Goa		64	-52	12	388		505		893	452		453	905	726	542	1,268
Gujarat		4,093	3,020	7,113	12,665		14,400		27,065	16,758		17,420	34,178	22,399	15,280	37,679
Haryana		-9,358	-9,094	-18,452	1,748		2,568		4,316	-7,610		-6,526	-14,136	4,607	3,469	8,076
Himachal Pradesh		-128	-224	-352	270		223		493	142		-1	141	520	355	875
Jammu & Kashmir		13,685	14,753	28,438	4,209		4,420		8,629	17,894		19,173	37,067	4,351	6,015	10,366
Jharkhand		9,003	4,445	13,448	11,996		11,757		23,753	20,999		16,202	37,201	5,278	8,817	14,095
Karnataka		-6,096	-5,047	-11,143	4,802		3,575		8,377	-1,294		-1,472	-2,766	38,475	30,061	68,536
Kerala		-10,823	-6,550	-17,373	-3,628		-316		-3,944	-14,451		-6,866	-21,317	24,865	17,020	41,885
Ladakh		650	584	1,234	236		119		355	886		703	1,589	131	118	249
Lakshadweep		11	11	22	37		20		57	48		31	79	3	-11	-8
Madhya Pradesh		-7,442	-8,207	-15,649	6,132		3,377		9,509	-1,310		-4,830	-6,140	2,236	1,331	3,567
Maharashtra		7,729	12,282	20,011	19,546		21,066		40,612	27,275		33,348	60,623	47,631	44,246	91,877
Manipur		3,496	3,950	7,446	1,518		1,360		2,878	5,014		5,310	10,324	1,069	1,258	2,327
Meghalaya		2,127	1,599	3,726	509		797		1,306	2,636		2,396	5,032	451	459	910
Mizoram		265	154	419	99		97		196	364		251	615	14	14	28
Nagaland		797	544	1,341	256		183		439	1,053		727	1,780	183	186	369
Odisha		3,177	2,347	5,524	2,711		1,968		4,679	5,888		4,315	10,203	4,799	4,386	9,185
Puducherry		86	-26	60	7		147		154	93		121	214	33	69	102
Punjab		5,773	5,262	11,035	3,194		2,640		5,834	8,967		7,902	16,869	1,583	1,166	2,749
Rajasthan		31,675	25,658	57,333	19,318		15,189		34,507	50,993		40,847	91,840	17,757	13,227	30,984
Sikkim		25	40	65	33		33		66	58		73	131	39	-12	27
Tamilnadu		-1,412	-1,239	-2,651	-1,432		-1,144		-2,576	-2,844		-2,383	-5,227	5,248	3,213	8,461
Telangana		8,216	5,213	13,429	11,484		8,926		20,410	19,700		14,139	33,839	9,136	7,849	16,985
Tripura		774	448	1,222	745		586		1,331	1,519		1,034	2,553	528	1,070	1,598
Uttar Pradesh		1,47,473	1,25,314	2,72,787	61,350		67,077		1,28,427	2,08,823		1,92,391	4,01,214	53,172	50,189	1,03,361
Uttarakhand		6,099	3,468	9,567	4,953		3,249		8,202	11,052		6,717	17,769	2,869	2,155	5,024
West Bengal		85,152	74,345	1,59,497	-25,330		-13,231		-38,561	59,822		61,114	1,20,936	82,066	1,21,513	2,03,579
All India		3,63,692	2,99,825	6,63,517	2,59,075		2,69,944		5,29,019	6,22,767		5,69,769	11,92,536	4,46,886	4,77,410	9,24,296

Source: Computed based on UDISEPlus 2020-21 & 2021-22 data. Negative figures in a few states is because of inconsistant enrolment data and consideration of all schools in computation of flow rates instead of comoon schools in 2020-21 & 2021-22.

Muslim Gross Enrolment Ratio at School Education in India (2021-22)

State-wise Muslim Gross Enrolment Ratio at School Education in India (2021-22)

Muslims Gross Enrolment Ratio at Higher Education Level (2020-21)

Muslim Gender Parity Index at Higher Education Level in India, 2016-17 to 2020-21

Average Annual Growth Rate: Muslim Enrolment in Higher Education

Share of Muslim Enrolment in Higher Education in India: 2016-17 to 2020-21

Muslim Students Transition Rate in India: Cohort 2018-19 to 2020-21