Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 called for 100 per cent school enrolment across the state, directing officials to ensure no child is excluded from the education system as Gujarat gears up for Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav 2026. Patel made the appeal while addressing a guidance meeting in Gandhinagar ahead of the state's annual school admission drive.

Chief Minister's Directive to Officials

Addressing education officials and administrators, Patel stressed that Gujarat must retain its leading position in education by enrolling every eligible child before the new academic session begins. He urged officials participating in the campaign to engage directly with parents and communicate the value of education in children's holistic development.

'We will move ahead with clear goals and a vision regarding what needs to be done and how it should be done to achieve 100 per cent school enrolment of children. If we explain this to parents, not a single child will remain deprived of school admission,' Patel said.

The Chief Minister noted that the education outreach initiative — originally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003, when he served as Gujarat's Chief Minister — had now entered its 24th year. He said the programme had evolved through sustained efforts to improve both educational access and outcomes.

Key Launches: NEP 2020 Framework and Nipun Gujarat

During the event, Patel launched three significant education initiatives. The first was the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020-based State Curriculum Framework (SCF), which sets a new pedagogical direction for Gujarat's schools. The second was the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF), which will apply uniform quality benchmarks across government and private schools, with results to be made public. The third was the Nipun Gujarat Programme, a three-year initiative running from 2026-27 to 2028-29, aimed at strengthening foundational learning — reading, writing, and numeracy — in primary education.

State Education Minister Dr Pradyuman Vaja described these launches as the beginning of a new phase, noting that Gujarat had already achieved universal enrolment and improved school infrastructure. 'The state's focus was now shifting towards improving educational quality,' he said. Vaja also announced that Gujarat had secured first place nationally in the Swachh and Harit Vidyalaya Rating, with 15 schools from the state earning recognition, and that Rajkot district had been ranked seventh among the country's top 10 districts.

Dropout Rate and Re-enrolment Efforts

Patel highlighted that Gujarat's school dropout rate had declined to approximately one per cent, crediting sustained enrolment efforts for the achievement. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi commended the Education Department for tracing and re-enrolling around 6.5 lakh children who had dropped out during the previous academic session. He expressed confidence that continued societal and governmental efforts could bring the dropout ratio to zero.

Sanghavi urged officials to treat the three-day enrolment campaign as a social responsibility rather than a routine administrative exercise, and called on teachers and parents to work together in building healthy habits and values among students from an early age.

Data-Driven Approach and Administrative Push

Principal Secretary of the Education Department Milind Torawane said Shala Praveshotsav 2026 was not merely an admission drive but a broader movement to connect every child with mainstream education. He noted that data-based mapping of students from Balvatika to Class 12 had been completed to identify children outside the education system, and that the Education Department had integrated data from multiple departments — including health services — to reach children requiring support.

Chief Secretary M.K. Das referenced a recent NITI Aayog meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, where nutrition, education, and health were identified as key national priorities. He underscored that enrolment and regular attendance were essential to further reduce dropout rates.

During the event, authorisation letters were handed over to District Education Officers for five of the 298 secondary schools approved in the 2026-27 state budget. Collectors, district development officers, and education officials from across Gujarat participated virtually.

What Comes Next

With the Nipun Gujarat Programme now formally launched, Gujarat's education machinery will focus on measurable foundational learning outcomes over the next three academic years. Scientific school assessments under SQAAF — based on standards prepared by the Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT) — are expected to be conducted and made public, marking a shift from access-focused metrics to quality-driven accountability.