Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 26: In a concerning revelation, official data shows that around 8,000 schools across India have recorded zero student enrolment for the academic year 2024–25. West Bengal has topped the list, followed by Telangana.

According to data from the Ministry of Education, 7,993 schools in the country have reported no admissions this year, compared to 12,954 such schools last year. Among these, 20,817 teachers are employed, with West Bengal alone accounting for 17,965 teachers and 3,812 schools without a single student.

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Telangana ranks second with 2,245 schools and 1,016 teachers showing zero enrolment, while Madhya Pradesh follows with 463 schools and 223 teachers. Uttar Pradesh has 81 such schools, and most of the single-teacher schools are also located there. Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh are next in the list.

In contrast, Haryana, Maharashtra, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura have no schools with zero enrolment.

An official explained that since school education falls under the State List, the states have been instructed to address the issue. “In some states, schools have been merged to optimise the use of available teachers and resources,” the official added.

Union territories including Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh, along with the national capital Delhi, also have no schools reporting zero enrolment.