Gujarat's twin school enrolment drives — Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Rath Yatra — marked 23 years on 23 June 2025, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel describing the campaigns as a transformation from state-run programmes into a statewide social movement that has fundamentally widened access to education across Gujarat.

In a written piece released to mark the occasion, Patel traced the origins, milestones, and structural reforms that have defined Gujarat's education landscape over two decades.

From Crisis to Campaign: The 2003 Starting Point

Patel noted that when the campaigns were launched in 2003 under then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat was grappling with a severe dropout crisis. The state's school dropout rate in 2001-02 stood at more than 37 per cent — meaning nearly one in three children was leaving the educational mainstream before completing basic schooling.

Girls faced compounded barriers, including social prejudice, economic hardship, and deep-rooted structural obstacles. The founding premise of the initiative, according to Patel, was that education could not remain a government obligation alone — it had to become a collective societal commitment.

Ministers, legislators, and officers from the IAS, IPS, and IFS services were mobilised to travel to villages, engage families, and personally accompany children to schools. 'For 23 years, this unique tradition has continued uninterrupted, reflecting a sustained commitment to ensuring that every child receives the opportunity to learn,' Patel wrote.

Girls' Education and Shifting Social Attitudes

The Kanya Kelavani Rath Yatra was integrated into the broader campaign specifically to ensure that every girl child entered the education system. Patel credited the initiative with driving a measurable shift in how families across Gujarat view daughters' education.

'Today, families do not view a daughter's education as an exception or aspiration alone; they actively seek to ensure that she moves from school to higher education and beyond,' he wrote.

To reinforce this momentum, the state government has introduced targeted financial support. Under the Namo Lakshmi Yojana, girls studying in Classes 9 to 12 receive financial assistance of up to ₹50,000. The Namo Saraswati Vigyan Sadhana Yojana provides up to ₹25,000 over two years to students in Classes 11 and 12 pursuing science education.

Quality Reforms: Gunotsav, NEP, and AI Monitoring

Beyond enrolment, Patel highlighted a parallel push on educational quality. The Gunotsav programme, launched in 2009 under Modi's tenure as Chief Minister, has since evolved into Gunotsav 2.0 (GSQAC), which incorporates the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF). The framework is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and sets out 211 standards for evaluating school quality.

Gujarat has also adopted the NEP's 5+3+3+4 academic structure and universally implemented Balvatika at the foundational stage. Digital birth registration and child-tracking systems are in place to ensure continuous enrolment support.

Patel pointed to the Vidya Samiksha Kendra, which he described as 'India's first AI-driven educational monitoring system.' The platform enables real-time tracking of educational progress and includes an AI-based early warning system designed to identify potential dropouts and trigger timely intervention.

Community Participation and Financial Inclusion

Community ownership has been a defining feature of the campaigns. Patel said contributions from citizens, institutions, and organisations over the past 23 years have cumulatively reached approximately ₹326 crore.

School Management Committees now record 75 per cent parental participation and 50 per cent representation of women, according to Patel, making schools more community-driven institutions. Scholarship programmes — including the Mukhyamantri Gyan Sadhana Scholarship and the Gyan Setu Merit Scholarship — provide additional support to meritorious students facing financial constraints.

Patel closed his article by quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision: 'If we aim to build a Viksit Bharat, then it must begin by empowering the dreams of our children.' He described the 23-year journey as 'a living reflection of this belief' and predicted that future generations would view the campaigns not merely as policy interventions but as efforts that helped reshape Gujarat's educational foundation.