While the government continues to increase the education budget, the latest findings from ETV Bharat reveal a distressing reality: 1.17 million children in India are still out of school in the 2024-25 session. More alarmingly, between 2020 and 2025, over 6.57 million children discontinued their education, with girls accounting for nearly 45% of these dropouts. This comprehensive report investigates the systemic gaps that keep India’s future leaders away from classrooms.

State-wise Disparity: UP and Maharashtra in Focus Uttar Pradesh holds the highest number of out-of-school children, with 7.84 lakh kids deprived of education. However, the situation regarding female education is most critical in Maharashtra, where the girl-child dropout rate has soared to 66%. States like Himachal Pradesh (54.8%) and Mizoram (53.8%) follow closely, highlighting a nationwide struggle to keep girls in schools until completion.

Why are Students Dropping Out? According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, financial instability remains the primary catalyst. Families often push adolescents into the workforce to support the household income. Other key reasons include:

• Engagement in domestic chores.
• Lack of interest or difficulty in understanding the curriculum.
• Health issues or physical disabilities.
• Early marriage and pressure of competitive exams.

The Silver Lining and Government Initiatives Despite the challenges, there is a glimmer of hope. The dropout rate at the secondary level has decreased from 10.9% to 8.2% compared to previous years. The 2026-27 Budget has proposed a record ₹1.39 lakh crore for the Education Ministry to further bridge this gap. Schemes like PM POSHAN (Mid-day Meal), Samagra Shiksha, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao are actively working to incentivize attendance and provide a safer learning environment for girls. Rural female literacy has also improved significantly, reaching 70.40% in 2023-24.