Rajasthan school enrolment drops 8.4 lakh in 2 years: Gehlot slams BJP govt
Synopsis
UDISE+ data shows Rajasthan lost over 8.4 lakh school students in just two years — and for the first time in the state's history, private school enrolment has overtaken government school enrolment. Former CM Ashok Gehlot is using the figures to build a pointed accountability case against the BJP government, even as the state administration has yet to respond.
Key Takeaways
Rajasthan's school enrolment dropped from 1.67 crore in 2023-24 to 1.59 crore in 2025 — a cumulative fall of over 8.4 lakh students in two years, per UDISE+ data.
For the first time in the state's history, private school enrolment has reportedly surpassed government school enrolment, according to Ashok Gehlot .
Despite teacher numbers rising from 7.8 lakh to over 7.9 lakh in the same period, government schools lost more than 9.3 lakh students .
Gehlot cited non-academic duties assigned to teachers, crumbling infrastructure, stalled repairs, and curriculum politicisation as key causes.
The Rajasthan BJP government had not issued an official response at the time of publication.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday, 9 July launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led state government over the deteriorating state of government schools, citing UDISE+ data that records a cumulative decline of over 8.4 lakh students in school enrolment across Rajasthan over the past two academic years. Gehlot argued the figures represent a crisis of public confidence in state-run education.
What the UDISE+ Data Shows
According to the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report, Rajasthan's total school enrolment fell from 1.67 crore in 2023-24 to 1.63 crore in 2024-25, and further to 1.59 crore in 2025 — a cumulative drop of more than 8.4 lakh students across two academic sessions. Gehlot claimed this marks the first time in the state's history that private school enrolment has surpassed that of government schools, calling it a direct indicator of eroding public trust.
What Gehlot Said
'It is deeply concerning that Rajasthan has witnessed over 8.4 lakh school dropouts in just two years under the BJP government. For the first time in history, enrollment in private schools has surpassed that of government schools. This is direct evidence of the declining reputation of the state's government schools,' Gehlot said.
He also highlighted a striking contradiction in the data: even as the number of teachers rose from 7.8 lakh to over 7.9 lakh during the same period, government schools lost more than 9.3 lakh students. 'Today, it is not just the roofs of schools in Rajasthan that are collapsing; the public's long-standing faith in the government education system is crumbling as well,' he added.
Causes Cited for the Decline
Gehlot attributed the fall in enrolment to a combination of structural and administrative failures — including the assignment of non-academic duties to teachers, deteriorating school infrastructure, stalled repair and maintenance work, and what he described as the politicisation of the curriculum. 'When the Education Minister's attention is focused on everything except education, such a situation was inevitable,' he said.
He also defended the record of the previous Congress government, arguing that reforms including English-medium schools had been 'completely ruined' by the current administration's 'shortsightedness.'
Government Response
The Rajasthan government had not issued an official response to Gehlot's allegations at the time of publication. The BJP administration's position on the UDISE+ figures and the broader enrolment decline remains unknown.
Why This Matters
The enrolment data, if sustained, signals a structural shift in how Rajasthan families perceive public education — a trend with long-term consequences for equity, since private schooling remains financially out of reach for a significant share of the state's population. This comes amid a broader national debate on the quality and resourcing of government schools, with several states reporting similar UDISE+ trends. Whether Rajasthan's new administration responds with a policy correction or contests the data will be closely watched by education advocates and opposition leaders alike.
Point of View
But because they are official government data — making it harder for the ruling BJP to dismiss the enrolment slide as political spin. The real alarm is the private-over-government tipping point: when low-income families stretch budgets to exit the public system, it reflects a failure of trust that infrastructure spending alone cannot fix. Gehlot's critique lands, but it also sidesteps the fact that enrolment pressures pre-date the current government. The more uncomfortable question — which neither side is asking — is whether Rajasthan's demographic trends, migration patterns, or post-COVID re-enrolment distortions are contributing to the numbers alongside administrative failures.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students dropped out of Rajasthan government schools in the last two years?
According to UDISE+ data, Rajasthan's school enrolment fell by over 8.4 lakh students between 2023-24 and 2025, declining from 1.67 crore to 1.59 crore across two academic sessions. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot cited these figures on 9 July while attacking the BJP-led state government.
What is the UDISE+ report and why does it matter?
UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) is the Indian government's official database tracking school enrolment, infrastructure, and teacher data across the country. It is the primary source used by policymakers and researchers to assess the health of the school education system, making its findings difficult to dispute on political grounds.
Why did Ashok Gehlot blame the BJP government for the enrolment drop?
Gehlot attributed the decline to administrative failures under the BJP government, including assigning non-academic duties to teachers, deteriorating school infrastructure, stalled repairs, and the politicisation of the curriculum. He also argued that reforms from the previous Congress government — including English-medium schools — had been dismantled.
Has private school enrolment in Rajasthan really overtaken government schools?
Gehlot claimed that, for the first time in the state's history, private school enrolment has surpassed government school enrolment, citing the UDISE+ trend. The Rajasthan government had not confirmed or contested this specific claim at the time of publication.
What has the Rajasthan government said in response?
The BJP-led Rajasthan government had not issued any official response to Gehlot's allegations or the UDISE+ enrolment data at the time this report was published.
