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Bihar led the expansion drive, contributing 5,510 of the new schools, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the national total
Uttar Pradesh continues to have the highest number of government schools in the country at 1.37 lakh as of 2023-24
India has witnessed contrasting trends in school education over the past five years — while eight states and Union Territories added a total of 8,619 government schools between 2019-20 and 2023-24, a much larger number, 23,529, were either closed or merged during the same period, official data shows.
Bihar led the expansion drive, contributing 5,510 of the new schools, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the national total. Rajasthan followed with 2,573 new schools.
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Other states that reported small increases were Chhattisgarh (256), Tamil Nadu (93), Manipur (58), Mizoram (35), Telangana (21), and Sikkim (13).
MP Leads In Closures
Despite these additions, the overall count of government schools fell from 10.32 lakh in 2019-20 to 10.17 lakh in 2023-24.
The sharpest decline was reported between 2020-21 and 2021-22, when 9,663 schools were shut or merged. Madhya Pradesh recorded the steepest drop with 6,972 fewer schools, followed by Odisha (4,589), Jammu & Kashmir (4,380), and Assam (2,149).
The data, sourced from the Department of School Education and Literacy’s Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), does not separately classify closures and mergers.
Bihar’s Surge In School Numbers
In Bihar, most of the growth came early in the period under review.
Between 2019-20 and 2020-21, the state added 2,945 schools, raising its total from 72,610 to 75,555.
The following year saw little change, with three schools added and eight closed or merged. Another major spike came in 2022-23, when 2,570 schools were established, pushing Bihar’s total to 78,120 schools in 2023-24.
Biggest Declines
Among states reporting declines, West Bengal recorded 1,149 fewer schools, Delhi lost 74, and Maharashtra saw a reduction of 729.
Lakshadweep, which has the lowest number of government schools in the country at just 37, reported eight closures since 2019-20.
Uttar Pradesh: Largest Network Of Govt Schools
Uttar Pradesh continues to have the highest number of government schools in the country at 1.37 lakh as of 2023-24.
However, the state also reported a net decline of 536 schools over five years.
The steepest fall occurred in 2019-20, when 570 schools were closed or merged. A recovery was seen in 2022-23, with 99 new schools being added.
Policy Context
Decisions to open, merge, or shut schools lie with state governments and UT administrations under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
While the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 acknowledges consolidation as a strategy, it cautions that such moves must not compromise access.
The RTE Act mandates that every child must have a neighbourhood school within prescribed limits.
To address learning outcomes and pupil-teacher ratios, some states have opted to consolidate schools into larger institutions.
For habitations where new schools are not viable — particularly in sparsely populated or difficult terrain — the government provides transport assistance of up to ₹6,000 per child annually up to Class X.
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