MP's 2,426 school closures in 2025-26: Congress demands accountability from Yadav govt
Synopsis
Madhya Pradesh shut or merged more schools than any other Indian state in 2025-26 — 2,426 out of a national total of 4,791. Congress president Jitu Patwari's letter to CM Mohan Yadav exposes a striking paradox: the school count fell by over 2,400, yet the teacher headcount rose by more than 10,000. Where did those teachers go?
Key Takeaways
Madhya Pradesh closed or merged 2,426 schools in 2025-26 — the highest among all Indian states, per UDISE+ data.
The state's total school count dropped from 1,22,120 in 2024-25 to 1,19,694 in 2025-26.
Despite fewer schools, the teacher count rose from 6,82,492 to 6,92,820 — an increase of over 10,000 .
Congress president Jitu Patwari wrote to CM Mohan Yadav seeking district-wise, block-wise, and school-wise details of closures and mergers.
The state recorded a 13 per cent dropout rate for Classes 9-10 , with Patwari demanding a breakdown of students lost at key transition points.
Patwari also flagged discrepancies between state education portal enrolment data and UDISE+ figures.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari on Friday, 4 September formally challenged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav over the closure and merger of 2,426 schools in the state during 2025-26, raising concerns that the shrinking school network is deepening the education access gap for children in rural and economically weaker communities.
Scale of the School Reduction
According to the latest UDISE+ data, Madhya Pradesh accounted for 2,426 of the 4,791 schools that were closed or merged across India in 2025-26 — the highest figure among all states. The total number of schools in the state fell from 1,22,120 in 2024-25 to 1,19,694 in 2025-26, a decline of over 2,400 institutions in a single academic year.
What Patwari Demanded
In a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Patwari sought district-wise, block-wise, and school-wise breakdowns of the 2,426 affected institutions. He asked the government to clarify how many were formally closed, merged, or discontinued through administrative orders, and to disclose what happened to the land, buildings, furniture, laboratories, and other assets of those schools.
Patwari also questioned whether the state had assessed the additional distances children would have to travel following mergers, and whether transport arrangements — including bicycles, buses, or other safe commuting options — had been put in place.
Dropout Rates and Enrolment Discrepancies
The Congress leader pressed the government on the 13 per cent dropout rate recorded for Classes 9-10, seeking a detailed explanation of why students are leaving the education system at the critical transition points between Classes 8 and 9, and between Classes 10 and 11. He also demanded separate data on out-of-school children, dropouts, students who transferred to other schools, and those not captured in UDISE+ records.
Patwari further flagged a discrepancy between the state education portal's enrolment figures and those in UDISE+, calling for accountability over the data gap. Notably, this comes at a time when the Mohan Yadav government has been publicly highlighting increased education spending, improved examination results, and new welfare schemes as achievements.
The Teacher Deployment Paradox
A pointed contradiction surfaced in the data Patwari cited: even as the number of schools fell, the teacher count in Madhya Pradesh rose from 6,82,492 in 2024-25 to 6,92,820 in 2025-26 — an addition of over 10,000 teachers. Patwari demanded clarity on where these additional teachers had been deployed, given that fewer schools were operational.
What Comes Next
The Yadav government is yet to formally respond to Patwari's letter. The opposition's demand for granular, school-level data could force a detailed public accounting of the state's rationalisation policy. With the UDISE+ figures already in the public domain, pressure on the government to explain the rationale and consequences of the school reduction is likely to intensify in the coming weeks.
Point of View
400 in a single year while adding more than 10,000 teachers to its rolls — a paradox that points either to serious administrative inefficiency or to a rationalisation drive that was never properly stress-tested for rural access. The 13 per cent dropout rate at Classes 9-10 is not a new crisis, but closing schools without guaranteeing safe, affordable alternative transport for children in remote areas risks making it worse. The Yadav government's silence on the asset disposal question — land, buildings, labs — is equally telling. School rationalisation, done well, can improve per-pupil resources; done without a last-mile access plan, it simply moves the burden onto the poorest families.
NationPress
4 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools were closed or merged in Madhya Pradesh in 2025-26?
According to UDISE+ data, 2,426 schools in Madhya Pradesh were closed or merged in 2025-26, the highest figure among all Indian states. The total school count in the state fell from 1,22,120 in 2024-25 to 1,19,694 in 2025-26.
Why is Congress questioning the Madhya Pradesh government over school closures?
Congress president Jitu Patwari argues that reducing the school network makes education less accessible to children in rural and economically weaker areas, particularly without clear transport alternatives. He has also flagged a 13 per cent dropout rate for Classes 9-10 and discrepancies between state and UDISE+ enrolment data.
What specific information has Jitu Patwari sought from the government?
Patwari has demanded district-wise, block-wise, and school-wise details of the 2,426 affected schools, clarification on how many were closed versus merged, data on student dropouts and out-of-school children, details of transport arrangements, and an account of what happened to the assets — land, buildings, and equipment — of closed schools.
What is the paradox in Madhya Pradesh's teacher and school data?
Even as the number of schools declined by over 2,400, the teacher count in Madhya Pradesh rose from 6,82,492 in 2024-25 to 6,92,820 in 2025-26 — an increase of more than 10,000. Patwari has demanded clarity on where these additional teachers have been deployed.
What is the dropout rate for Classes 9-10 in Madhya Pradesh?
UDISE+ data cited by Patwari shows a 13 per cent dropout rate for Classes 9-10 in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress leader has sought a detailed breakdown of students leaving the education system at the transitions between Classes 8-9 and Classes 10-11.
