The Union Ministry of Education on Tuesday released the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2025-26 report, highlighting improvements in teacher strength, student retention, digital infrastructure and school facilities, while dropout rates continued to decline across key stages of school education.
The report said the number of teachers increased to 1,02,73,020 in 2025-26 from 94,83,294 in 2022-23, marking an 8.3 per cent rise over the period. The improved teacher availability helped bring down the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) to 10 at the foundational level, 12 at the preparatory level, 17 at the middle level and 21 at the secondary level, all better than the National Education Policy’s recommended ratio of 30:1.
Dropout rates also registered a decline. At the preparatory level, the rate fell from 2.3 per cent in 2024-25 to 1.8 per cent in 2025-26, while at the secondary level it dropped from 8.2 per cent to 7 per cent. The ministry said the trend reflected the impact of initiatives aimed at improving student retention.
Retention rates improved at the middle and secondary stages, rising to 83.7 per cent and 51.9 per cent, respectively. The ministry attributed the improvement at the secondary level partly to the expansion of schools offering secondary education, making access easier for students.
The report also recorded an increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the secondary level, which rose from 68.5 per cent in 2024-25 to 71.7 per cent in 2025-26, indicating higher participation in school education.
Student transition between different stages of schooling improved across the board. The transition rate from foundational to preparatory level increased to 99.2 per cent, from preparatory to middle to 93.8 per cent, and from middle to secondary to 88.3 per cent.
The number of single-teacher schools declined to 1,00,843, about 3 per cent lower than the previous year, while zero-enrolment schools fell sharply by around 29 per cent to 5,663.
The report highlighted gains in digital infrastructure. Schools with computer access increased from 64.7 per cent in 2024-25 to 69.9 per cent in 2025-26, while those with internet connectivity rose from 63.5 per cent to 67.4 per cent.
Basic infrastructure also improved, with 95 per cent of schools now having electricity, 99.5 per cent access to drinking water, 98.5 per cent girls’ toilets, 97.2 per cent boys’ toilets and 96.9 per cent handwashing facilities. Libraries were available in 90.5 per cent of schools, while 58.2 per cent had ramps with handrails to improve accessibility for students with disabilities.
Women accounted for 54.9 per cent of the teaching workforce in 2025-26, up from 54.2 per cent a year earlier. Girls’ enrolment also edged up to 48.4 per cent, reflecting continued progress towards gender parity in school education, according to the report.
