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Cover Story









         UDISE+ 2023-34

         DIRE CONDITION OF WORLD'S





         LARGEST CHILD POPULATION








         The Unified District Information System Plus Report 2023-24
         provides a vast volume of data relating to primary, secondary
         and higher secondary schools. Yet infrastructure deficiency,
         child drop-out and retention data project a disturbing picture





         Dilip Thakore



         T                HE UNIFIED DISTRICT INFORMATION   ed through the digital platform of UDISE+, is utilised for



                          System for Education Plus (UDISE+)
                                                          the planning, optimised resource allocation and implemen-
                          Report 2023-24 was released in Delhi
                                                          tation of various education-related programs and assess-
                          on December 30. The report provides
                                                          ments of progress made” in K-12 education countrywide.
                                                          Moreover, ‘‘with effect from UDISE+ 2022-23, data fields
                          a vast volume of data related to K-12
                          education — number of primary, sec-
                                                          (National Education Policy) 2020.”
                          ondary, higher secondary schools;
                                                             Therefore, the labour of love invested in compiling the
                          number of children enrolled in each   are completely aligned with the recommendations of NEP
         segment; number of drop-outs; institutional infrastructure   data-rich UDISE+ 2023-24 report is praiseworthy inas-
         installed; number of teachers and related information. “It   much as it serves as a bedrock document for analysis and
         aims to provide accurate and updated information about   debate on ways and means to improve primary-secondary
         schools across the country,” says the website of the Union   education and bring it on a par with the best school systems
         education ministry.                              worldwide. In the pages following, we examine this valuable
            This objective of the education ministry has been sub-  report which hides as much as it reveals.
         stantially fulfilled by the 187-page UDISE+ 2023-24. The   First, the good news. According to UDISE+ 2023-24,
         ministry deserves praise and thanks from the citizenry for   in terms of infrastructure facilities, there’s been marked
         providing a wealth of up-to-date data about India’s K-12   improvement especially of government schools since 1998
         education system.                                when the independent PROBE (Public Report on Basic
            Nor is this a mere statistical exercise. As the ministry’s   Education) first jolted the establishment and middle class
         website — alas, Union education minister Dharmendra   India by highlighting the pathetic infrastructure inadequa-
         Pradhan has set his face against granting any interview to   cies of government rural schools. According to UDISE+
         EducationWorld for meaningful debate on priorities and   2023-24, 98 percent of the country’s 1.47 million schools
         policies relating to development of the country’s abundant   with an aggregate enrolment of 248 million children and
         but neglected human resource — says “information collect-  9.8 million teachers are equipped with drinking water; 97

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