Nation Faces Challenge with 1.17 Million Out-of-School Children

In the financial year 2024-25, over 1.17 million children were identified as out-of-school across India, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest number. The Ministry of Education uses the PRABANDH portal to track and update this data, underscoring a significant challenge for the country's education system.

India faces a significant education challenge as more than 1.17 million children have been identified as out-of-school in the first eight months of the financial year 2024-25, according to a report presented to the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Union Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, revealed that the state with the highest number of such children is Uttar Pradesh, where 7.84 lakh children are not enrolled in schools.

The Ministry of Education's PRABANDH portal is instrumental in managing this data, collecting updates from states and union territories to keep tabs on educational access across the country. Jharkhand and Assam also reported significant numbers of out-of-school children, making it a nationwide issue needing urgent attention.

(With inputs from agencies.)