Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday, 10 July 2026, launched a sharp attack on the Karnataka Congress government, citing official UDISE+ data to argue that government school enrolment in the state has fallen by over 2.12 lakh students across three academic years under Congress rule.

Context

Posting in Kannada on X, Joshi quoted figures from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report — the Central government's authoritative annual school-data platform — to build his case. According to the numbers cited in his post, enrolment in Karnataka government schools stood at 1,19,26,303 in 2023-24, fell to 1,17,80,251 in 2024-25 (a drop of 1,46,052 students), and declined further to 1,17,14,214 in 2025-26 (an additional fall of 66,037 students).

The minister described the cumulative loss of 2,12,089 children from government schools over three years as a 'mirror of the Congress-led government's inaction' — ನಿಷ್ಕ್ರಿಯತೆಗೆ ಹಿಡಿದ ಕೈಗನ್ನಡಿ [a mirror held up to the government's passivity].

Policy Backdrop

The UDISE+ platform, upgraded in the late 2010s under the Union Ministry of Education, compiles annual data on school enrolment, infrastructure, and teacher strength across all Indian states and is widely used as a benchmark in policy debates. The Right to Education Act, 2009 placed a constitutional obligation on state governments to maintain free, compulsory schooling and to ensure adequate infrastructure in government schools.

A broader national pattern has seen enrolment drift from government to private schools over the past decade, driven largely by parental perceptions of quality. Opposition parties across states — and the ruling party at the Centre — routinely invoke UDISE+ data to challenge state administrations on education outcomes.

Stakeholders and Impact

Joshi argued that government schools are the primary safety net for poor and middle-class children in Karnataka, and that allowing enrolment to slide amounts to 'playing with children's futures.' He alleged that the state administration has been consumed by internal factional disputes — ಒಳಜಗಳ, ಕುರ್ಚಿ ಕಿತ್ತಾಟ [infighting and chair-grabbing] — rather than governing.

The minister also raised a separate concern, alleging that Karnataka is increasingly becoming a 'drugs hub,' and linking the trend to inadequate schooling and guidance for young people. He suggested that youth without proper education are being drawn into drug networks and other anti-social activities. NationPress notes that the 'drugs hub' characterisation is an allegation made by the minister and has not been independently verified.

Government school teachers in Karnataka, who depend on sustained enrolment for staffing allocations, are among the stakeholders most directly affected by a sustained fall in student numbers.

What's Next

The Karnataka state government has not yet responded publicly to Joshi's post. The next annual UDISE+ report is expected to provide an updated picture of enrolment trends, and debates on school education budgets and infrastructure grants are anticipated in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The BJP's use of Central education data to target the state Congress administration signals that school enrolment is likely to remain a contested political issue in Karnataka ahead of future electoral cycles.